Delhi-NCR began Monday morning with rain, lightning, and winds as the monsoon returned with all its fury after nearly 10 consecutive dry days. It rained early in the morning in the capital and nearby cities like Noida, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad. This rain helped cool down the area after days of very hot weather.
IMD Issues Orange Alert for Delhi and NCR
India Meteorological Department (IMD) had already put out an orange alert for the day, forecasting rain and thunderstorms over the city. Monsoon trough has moved northward, increasing the moisture from the Arabian Sea, and leading IMD to a conclusion that the atmosphere is favorable for showers in the next few days.
Weather forecasters indicate that two or more periods of rain are predicted in the next four days, primarily in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad, and the surrounding areas.
Critical 2 Hours Ahead: IMD Alert
Due to the change in the monsoon’s axis, the IMD’s X (originally Twitter) report said that Delhi areas, East Delhi, Ghaziabad, Palwal, Jhajjar, Baghpat, and nearby regions will experience scattered severe to very heavy rain, thunder, and squally winds over the following 2 hours.
Traffic Congestion and Waterlogging in Various Places
The heavy showers resulted in waterlogging and traffic jams in some areas of Delhi. MB Road, Sangam Vihar was water-logged and heavy traffic jams caused for the travellers. East Delhi also felt the same way, especially along Akshardham, where citizens complained of blocked drainage systems.
Working class were unable to reach their destinations on time as cars moved slowly along most of the water-logged places.
Rain Forecast Extended Till July 12
A yellow alert was first issued by the regional meteorological department, but as conditions worsened, it was later upgraded to an orange alert. Officials now anticipate light to moderate rain to keep going across the capital until July 12. People are being told to keep up with the latest news and plan their trips based on it.
Delhi’s Air Quality Has a Startling Trend
Amid the weather chaos, there’s some good news. Delhi’s air quality stayed in the satisfactory category for the eleventh straight day, therefore signifying the longest stretch of clean air in 2024. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 76 at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
When the AQI dropped from 134 to 94 in a single day on June 26, the trend began. It has remained below 100 since then, providing the city some long-needed respite from pollution.
North India Readies for Increased Rainfall
The IMD has also issued a warning of rain and thunderstorms in Northwest India. Heavy to very heavy rain is predicted for Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttarakhand; extremely heavy rain is in the offing over some locations.
Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh will also get severe rains; some areas of eastern Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh will have local showers in the following two days.