Roads waterlogged as heavy rain pounds Delhi; 18 flights cancelled, 166 delayed

Delhi is under a red alert on Tuesday as heavy rain pounded the city in the morning, with more showers, thunderstorms and lightning expected across the national capital and adjoining areas.

In Short

• Weather department issues red alert for national capital
• More heavy rain with thunderstorms expected in Delhi-NCR
• Gurugram, Faridabad under yellow alert; Noida heavily clouded

Several areas in Delhi, including key junctions and major thoroughfares, witnessed severe waterlogging after heavy rain lashed the national capital and adjoining parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) on Tuesday morning.

Vehicles were seen wading through waterlogged roads, severely disrupting traffic movement, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Delhi and forecast more heavy rainfall.

The airline tracking platform Flightradar24 showed that 18 flights were cancelled at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, while 166 services were delayed.

Waterlogging was reported in several parts of Delhi, including near Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, AIIMS, Ashoka Road and the Supreme Court. Near AIIMS, intense rain caused severe waterlogging at a flyover loop, slowing traffic in the area. Baba Kharak Singh Marg, located next to Connaught Place’s Outer Circle, also saw vehicles wading through waterlogged roads.

Rain lashed several parts of the city, including Parliament Street, Connaught Place, AIIMS, ITO, RK Puram and Ferozeshah Road among several other locations.

According to the latest update from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday morning, moderate rain is expected at many places across Delhi, with heavy to extremely heavy showers likely at isolated places, a day after intense showers caused severe waterlogging, traffic chaos and several flight diversions.

Thunderstorms along with lightning and gusty winds are also likely over the national capital.

Gurugram and Faridabad, the two NCR regions, have also been placed under a yellow alert, with more rain expected. Noida, meanwhile, remains heavily clouded, although the IMD has not issued any specific weather warning for the city.

On Monday, the downpour brought several parts of Delhi-NCR to a standstill, with waterlogging reported on major roads and commuters facing prolonged traffic jams. Areas across Delhi, as well as parts of Gurugram and Noida, witnessed severe disruption as rainwater accumulated on roads and low-lying stretches.

The day also saw 26 flights cancelled, 15 diverted to other cities and more than 390 delayed amid heavy rain.

With the intense showers, rainfall in Delhi remained above normal at several observatories, pushing up the city’s cumulative figures. Till August 24, Safdarjung recorded 246.2 mm against the normal 191.1 mm, an excess of 29 per cent. Palam received 227.2 mm, 28 per cent above normal, while Lodi Road recorded 233.2 mm, an excess of 22 per cent. Ridge recorded 243 mm, 50 per cent above normal and Ayanagar received 266.3 mm, which was 66 per cent above its normal rainfall.

The IMD attributed the intense showers to the interaction of a middle- and upper-level western disturbance with a lower-tropospheric trough extending from the low-pressure area over Gangetic West Bengal towards southwest Uttar Pradesh.

- Ends