Heavy rain causes waterlogging, traffic snarls in parts of city

Heavy rain lashed parts of Delhi on Wednesday, causing severe waterlogging and traffic snarls.

Waterlogging and traffic disruptions were reported from several areas, including Nehru Place, Aurobindo Marg, Kailash Colony, Lajpat Nagar, Siri Fort Road, Chirag Dilli flyover, Outer Ring Road, G.K. Marg, Rail Bhawan, Akshardham, Ashram, and ITO.

Traffic was also disrupted near the Zakhira railway underpass due to waterlogging in the area, said Delhi Traffic Police. Meanwhile, the IGI Airport advised passengers to use the Delhi Metro for transit.

The rain was accompanied by lightning and strong winds with speeds of up to 50 kmph, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

While the official weather station at Safdarjung received only 1.4 mm of rainfall between 5.30 p.m. and 8.30 p.m., the weather station at Najafgarh received 60 mm during the same period. Other stations that registered heavy rainfall included Ayanagar (50.5 mm), Pragati Maidan (37 mm), North Campus (22 mm), and Pusa (30 mm). Other areas such as IGNOU (11.5 mm), Janakpuri (4 mm), Naraina (6.5 mm) and Lodhi Road (1.5 mm) received moderate showers. The Public Works Department control room received 29 waterlogging complaints.

The IMD issued a ‘red alert’ for Delhi on Wednesday evening, indicating the need for vigilance and precaution as more rain is expected over the next 24 hours. The weather department has forecast a “generally cloudy sky with moderate rain accompanied by lightning” for Thursday.

Maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 32 and 24 degrees Celsius respectively.