Heavy rain in Delhi disrupts road traffic, flights; more downpour predicted today

Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) experienced heavy rain and gusty winds on Saturday morning, causing the temperature to drop to 19.3 degrees Celsius, seven degrees below the seasonal average, according to the weather department.

The inclement weather resulted in uprooted trees and waterlogging in various parts of the city, leading to traffic congestion. The affected areas included the Vasant Vihar-Delhi airport road stretch, the Kanshiram Takkar Marg, and the Mahipalpur highway underpass.

Delhi Airport said flight operations were impacted and asked the flyers to contact their airlines for updated information. Four in-bound flights were diverted to Jaipur due to bad weather.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted thunderstorms and further rainfall throughout the day. The maximum temperature for the day was expected to reach around 32 degrees Celsius.

The IMD reported that a cluster of cloud patches was passing over Delhi-NCR, causing the continuation of thunderstorms or dust storms accompanied by light to moderate-intensity rain and gusty winds with speeds ranging from 40 to 70 kmph in Delhi-NCR and its neighboring regions for the next two hours.

The relative humidity reached 100 percent at 8.30 am. Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) was categorised as “moderate,” with a reading of 110 at 9 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board. The AQI scale ranges from zero to 500, with values below 50 considered “good,” 51 to 100 “satisfactory,” 101 to 200 “moderate,” 201 to 300 “poor,” 301 to 400 “very poor,” and 401 to 500 “severe.”

Commuters took to Twitter to express their grievances about the resulting traffic jams. One person posted about a major traffic jam on the flyover from Vasant Vihar to the airport, while another reported heavy traffic from Mangolpuri to Rohini. A Twitter user also shared that Kanshiram Takkar Marg was blocked in both directions after a tree fell, and another person posted about waterlogging at the Mahipalpur underpass towards the highway.

On the previous day, Friday, Delhi experienced a maximum temperature of 34.5 degrees Celsius, which was five degrees below the normal range. (With inputs from PTI)