Yellow warning issued as heavy rains, water logging plague Delhi

Delhi experienced heavy rainfall on Saturday, leading to waterlogging in various parts of the city. The Meteorological Department issued an ‘orange’ alert for further showers on Saturday and a ‘yellow alert’ for Sunday.

The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s main weather station, recorded 98.7 mm rainfall by 2.30 pm, while the Ridge Observatory recorded 111.4 mm rainfall. This was the season’s first heavy spell of rain.

According to the Meteorological Department, there would be light to moderate rain in several places in Delhi and neighboring areas, including NCR, Haryana’s Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Assandh, Safidon, Panipat, Gohana, Gannaur, Meham, Sonipat, Rohtak, Kharkhoda, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Mattanhail, Jhajjar, Kosali, Sohana, and Rewari.

The heavy rain caused inconvenience for commuters who faced difficulties in reaching their destinations. The Public Works Department (PWD) received 15 complaints of waterlogging throughout the morning. The PWD official stated that they also forwarded complaints about waterlogging in areas managed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and other agencies. So far, the situation is under control, but waterlogging near Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College in Delhi University’s north campus caused inconvenience to commuters.

The Meteorological Department forecasted a generally cloudy sky with heavy rain throughout the day. The minimum temperature in the city was recorded at 25 degrees Celsius, which is three notches below the season’s average. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 30 degrees Celsius, with a relative humidity of 96 percent.

Despite the heavy rain, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the ‘satisfactory’ category, with a reading of 79 at 9.00 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’. (With inputs from PTI)