Heavy rain batters Delhi, waterlogging in many parts of city

New Delhi was pounded by heavy overnight rain on the eve of Raksha Bandhan, leaving several areas waterlogged on Saturday morning, with more showers forecast for the day.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) initially issued a red alert early on Saturday for heavy rain accompanied by lightning and thunderstorms across parts of north, west, south, southeast, and central Delhi. The alert was later downgraded to yellow, advising residents to remain cautious.

In the 24 hours ending at 8.30 AM on Saturday, Safdarjung — the city’s main weather station — recorded 78.7 mm of rainfall. Other stations reported similar downpours: Pragati Maidan 100 mm, Lodhi Road 80 mm, Pusa 69 mm, and Palam 31.8 mm, according to IMD data.

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The showers began around 11 pm on Friday, inundating stretches of Panchkuian Marg, Mathura Road, Shastri Bhawan, RK Puram, Moti Bagh, Kidwai Nagar and other parts of Delhi-NCR.

On Friday, the maximum temperature in the capital touched 36.2°C, two degrees above normal, while the minimum was 26.8°C — just below the seasonal average. By Saturday morning, the mercury had dropped to 23.8°C, 3.2 degrees below normal, with the day’s high expected to hover around 32°C, the IMD said.

(With inputs from PTI)