Heavy rain lashes Delhi-NCR, waterlogging hits traffic in several areas

Rain lashed Delhi on Thursday morning, 14 August, with the India Meteorological Department issuing an 'orange' alert for the city and warning of more in the coming hours.

The rain led to waterlogging in several parts of the national capital and slowed traffic, inconveniencing commuters during the morning rush hour.

During the 24-hour period which ended at 8.30 am on Thursday, Delhi's primary weather station at Safdarjung recorded 13.1 mm of rainfall, Aya Nagar logged 57.4 mm, Palam 49.4 mm, Lodhi Road 12 mm, Pragati Maidan 9 mm, and Pusa 5 mm, according to the IMD.

The IMD has issued the 'orange' alert, which means "be prepared", warning of moderate to heavy rainfall during the day, along with thunderstorms and lightning in several parts of Delhi.

Due to the rain, traffic was hit in many parts of the city, including stretches along Ring Road, parts of south Delhi, and several arterial roads connecting central and east Delhi.

Visuals from near Subroto Park and the Outer Ring Road, Dwarka Sector-20, Basai Road in Gurugram, and parts of Ghaziabad and Noida showed vehicles navigating waterlogged roads.

"Due to the recent rains causing waterlogging at GTK Depot, Jahangirpuri, and Adarsh Nagar, traffic on Old GT Road is likely to be severely affected. To avoid congestion, commuters are advised to avoid taking Old GT Road and are requested to plan accordingly or take alternate routes," Delhi Traffic Police said in a post on X.

The rain brought down the minimum temperature in Delhi to 23.6 degrees Celsius, 3.2 notches below normal. The maximum temperature is expected to settle around 32 degrees Celsius, the IMD said.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city was recorded at 110, in the 'moderate' category, at 9 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'.