Delhi-NCR sees heavy rain, thunderstorms; traffic snarls, waterlogging reported

Heavy Rain and Thunderstorms Disrupt Delhi-NCR

Rain lashed several parts of Delhi-NCR on Monday, bringing with it thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds. The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert for heavy rain and a yellow alert for moderate rain across several districts, according to reports from The Times of India. Thunderstorms and winds of 30-40 kmph were expected in parts of the city, with heavy rain reported at isolated places in South East Delhi, East Delhi, Shahdara, Central Delhi, North East Delhi, South Delhi, New Delhi, South West Delhi, West Delhi, North West Delhi, and North Delhi.

Flight Operations Disrupted at Delhi Airport

The bad weather also prompted significant disruption at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in the national capital. An official told The Hindu Business Line that at least 15 flights were diverted due to inclement weather conditions, with 12 flights redirected to Jaipur, two to Chandigarh, and one to Lucknow. The Deccan Chronicle reported that three of the diverted flights were international services.

Scores of additional flights were delayed, and some were cancelled. Flight tracking website Flightradar24.com showed that over 280 services were delayed and more than 20 flights were cancelled at the airport, according to The Hindu Business Line. IGIA handles more than 1,300 flight movements daily, underscoring the scale of the operation. Both IndiGo and Air India took to social media platform X to alert passengers. IndiGo said bad weather had impacted flight schedules and that the airline was closely monitoring the situation. Air India similarly stated that adverse weather conditions may impact flight operations to and from Delhi.

Traffic and Waterlogging Snarls City

On the ground, the downpour led to traffic snarls and waterlogging across several parts of the city. Commuters turned to social media to report the disruptions, as noted by The Times of India and Deccan Chronicle. The weather conditions affected normal movement during the day, with the Deccan Chronicle noting that the disruptions were widespread.

Temperature and Weather Outlook

Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 27.8 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung on Monday, which was 1.4 degrees above normal for this time of year, according to consistent reports from Deccan Chronicle and The Times of India. The Ridge observed the lowest minimum temperature in the city at 24 degrees Celsius.

The inclement weather, forecast to continue, is expected to keep affecting travel and traffic in the capital, a Deccan Chronicle report indicated, with heavy rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds persisting in parts of Delhi.