Delhi records wettest first week of August in 15 years as heavy rain brings city to standstill
New Delhi: Delhi recorded its wettest first week of August in 15 years after receiving 127 mm of rain in the first seven days of the month, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data. Heavy showers on Friday brought several parts of the capital to a standstill with roads flooded and traffic moving at a slow pace.
The rain was particularly intense in south and southwest Delhi. Pushp Vihar recorded 147.5 mm of rainfall while Chhatarpur received 131 mm. Ayanagar recorded 87.4 mm, Palam 88.7 mm, Jharoda Kalan 69.5 mm and Janakpuri 72 mm. Safdarjung, the city’s base station, recorded 77.1 mm between 8.30 am and 8 pm.
The IMD said the weather was influenced by an active monsoon trough, a low-pressure area over southwest Uttar Pradesh and adjoining areas and a western disturbance affecting northwest India.
Roads flooded, traffic hit
The heavy rain led to waterlogging across several major roads. Mehrauli-Badarpur Road was among the worst affected with water reaching up to two to four feet in some stretches. Traffic remained slow between Khanpur and Okhla Mor while areas around Sangam Vihar, Deoli and Ambedkar Nagar also reported flooding.
Mahipalpur, Minto Road, ITO, Shakarpur, Chhatarpur and areas near the airport faced similar problems. The commuters reported being stuck for hours while some motorists abandoned their vehicles on flooded stretches. Gurgaon also witnessed severe traffic congestion with commuters stranded on major roads and the expressway.
Noida was affected too with long queues reported around Dadri Road, Mahamaya Flyover and Botanical Garden Metro station.
IMD issues yellow alert for today
The rain also resulted in fallen trees and structural damage in parts of the capital. The officials reported nine calls related to house and wall collapses, mainly from Burari and Model Town. Several tree-fall incidents were reported from areas including Saket, Model Town, East of Kailash and Patel Nagar. No injuries or casualties were reported.
The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Saturday with light rain expected at many places and moderate showers at isolated locations.
“The widespread rainfall over Delhi since yesterday has been influenced by the active monsoon trough which continues to pass through Delhi and other parts of north and east India before extending into the east-central Bay of Bengal. Rainfall activity over Delhi is expected to decrease from tomorrow, with light rain likely over the city during the next two days,” an IMD official said.
The persistent rain also kept temperatures below normal. Safdarjung recorded a maximum of 27.5 degrees Celsius, around seven degrees below normal. Delhi’s AQI remained in the satisfactory category at 63 with rainfall helping to clear pollutants from the air.