Heavy rainfall lashed Delhi on Wednesday, resulting in waterlogging across several parts of the city and triggering long traffic jams. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast cloudy skies with chances of light rain on Thursday, although no alerts have been issued for Delhi, Noida, and Ghaziabad.
For Gurugram, an orange alert has been issued, warning of moderate rain. According to the forecast, Delhi’s minimum temperature will likely be around 24 degrees Celsius, while the maximum could touch 33 degrees Celsius.
One of the worst-hit areas after Wednesday’s heavy rainfall was a stretch of National Highway 48 near Palam Mor in Southwest Delhi, where an overflowing stormwater drain led to severe waterlogging. Vehicles moved at a very slow pace, and passengers rushing to catch flights at IGI Airport’s Terminal 1 faced major delays.
Flight operations at IGI airport were affected as well, with up to 273 departures and 73 arrivals delayed until 5 pm on Wednesday, according to Flightradar24.
Rainfall and flight warnings
Delhi’s base weather station at Safdarjung recorded 15.2 mm rainfall till 5.30 pm on Wednesday. The highest rainfall was logged at Ridge (59.6 mm), followed by Ayanagar (54.8 mm), Palam (22 mm), and Lodi Road (18.2 mm).
While Delhi Airport did not issue any official notice about flight delays, airlines such as SpiceJet warned passengers that arrivals and departures could be impacted due to the bad weather.
“#WeatherUpdate: Due to bad weather in Delhi (DEL), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may be affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status via http://spicejet.com/#status,” the airline wrote.
Yamuna level remains above evacuation mark
The Yamuna River continued to flow above the danger mark for the second consecutive day on Wednesday. Water levels at the Old Railway Bridge touched 207.41 metres in the evening, which is the third-highest level recorded since 1963. This comes after another spell of heavy rain in the afternoon worsened the situation and triggered flooding in many low-lying areas.
The highest flood level of the Yamuna in Delhi was recorded at 208.66 metres in July 2023, while the second peak was 207.49 metres in 1978. The evacuation mark for the river is 206 metres, which means current levels remain dangerously high.
As the water level rose, people living in low-lying areas were evacuated by district authorities, and the Old Railway Bridge was closed for traffic.
Traffic advisory
In view of the rising water levels, the Delhi Traffic Police issued several advisories and road diversions. Vehicular movement was restricted on the Outer Ring Road from Majnu ka Tila to Salimgarh Bypass due to overflowing water at Vasudev Ghat. Traffic was diverted at Wazirabad-Signature Bridge and Chandgi Ram Akhada red light towards alternative routes.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
