A sudden downpour dumped more than 100 millimeters of rain on Delhi in an hour, causing widespread waterlogging and prompting the weather office to issue a “red” warning.
The National Flash Flood Guidance Bulletin has also listed Delhi as an area of concern, as the city struggles to cope with the sudden inundation.
On Thursday, the national capital was hit by a rare “cloud burst”, with the Pragati Maidan observatory in central Delhi recording 112.5 mm of rainfall in just one hour, according to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Automatic Weather Station (AWS) network.
The IMD defines a “cloud burst” as an extreme amount of precipitation in a short period, specifically 100 mm of rainfall within an hour. Despite the intense downpour, there has been no official statement from weather officials on the situation.
Delhi Lt Governor, in a post on X, said he cautioned officers to remain alert in light of the heavy downpour.
“Apart from ensuring minimum inconvenience to people in general, they are advised to specifically address issues at sites prone to waterlogging, including coaching centres,” he said in the post.
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Heavy rain brought widespread waterlogging to various areas of the city, including Lutyen’s Delhi, Kashmere Gate, Rajinder Nagar and others. Visuals from south Delhi’s Qutub Minar area showed cars and buses navigating through flooded streets, with traffic police working to manage the flow of vehicles.
Flights diverted due to adverse weather
The traffic police issued alerts on affected routes and advised citizens to plan their commutes accordingly.
Due to the adverse weather, Delhi saw 10 flight diversions between 7:30 pm and 8:00 pm, according to airport sources. Severe waterlogging was reported near AIIMS following incessant rainfall, and traffic jams occurred in the ITO area after rain lashed the city.
The IMD has cautioned that the showers are likely to cause slippery roads, low visibility, traffic disruptions, and localized waterlogging in low-lying areas. Intermittent showers are expected in Delhi until August 5.