Delhi weather update: The rain that started on Sunday night brought great relief to the people of Delhi and NCR on Monday morning. The continuous showers soaked the roads of the capital and brought coolness in the air. Heavy rain was recorded in many parts, including ITO, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, and areas along the Yamuna River.
While on one hand, people enjoyed the weather, on the other hand, waterlogging and traffic jams also persisted at many places.
IMD issued a ‘Yellow Alert’, clouds will rain till August 30
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘Yellow Alert’ in Delhi for Monday. The department has warned that light to moderate rain with thunderstorms may be seen throughout the day.
The IMD bulletin said that rain is likely to continue in the capital and adjoining areas till August 30. “The sky will be generally cloudy with light to moderate rain/thundershowers,” the department said.
At 6:22 am, the Regional Meteorological Centre, New Delhi, also issued an alert on X (formerly Twitter) that Delhi-NCR is likely to receive rain with thunder and lightning.
Temperature drops, and the weather becomes pleasant
The mercury in Delhi has dropped due to continuous rain. The minimum temperature was recorded between 23–26 degrees Celsius, and the maximum temperature was recorded between 32–33 degrees Celsius, which is 2-3 degrees below normal.
The maximum temperature on Sunday was 32.6 degrees, which was two degrees below the season’s average and 2.5 degrees less than Saturday. At the same time, the minimum temperature was recorded at 23.4 degrees, which is three degrees below normal.
The IMD also said that in the last 24 hours, north-easterly winds blew at a speed of 19 kmph in the capital, with gusts reaching 46 kmph.
Air traffic is also affected
While the rain brought relief to people, it also created problems for passengers flying from Delhi airport. Many airlines issued advisories to passengers and warned of flight delays.
SpiceJet said in its message, “Flights may be affected due to bad weather in Delhi and Mumbai. Please check your flight status before leaving for the airport.”
IndiGo also advised passengers to keep extra time before leaving for the airport, as many roads are affected due to waterlogging and traffic jams. Air India also warned, “Rain may affect flights to and from Delhi. Leave early and check flight status.”
Rain slowed down traffic, causing traffic jams on roads
Due to the rain that continued since morning, traffic slowed down on many major roads in Delhi. Waterlogging in areas like ITO, Connaught Place, and Outer Ring Road caused vehicles to crawl.
However, despite the problems of traffic jams and waterlogging, most people were seen enjoying the rain. People were seen enjoying morning walks in many parks, and the cool breeze brought relief.
A confluence of relief and challenges
The rain on Sunday and Monday brought relief to the people of Delhi. The cool breeze and rain made the people struggling with heat and humidity happy. But at the same time, the Meteorological Department has warned that problems like waterlogging, traffic jams, and delays in air services may increase due to prolonged rains.
Still, the continuous rain has raised hopes of improvement in the air quality of the capital. There is also a possibility of a positive impact on the groundwater level. The series of clouds and rain is expected to continue in Delhi till the end of August.
On one hand, this period of rain has brought smiles to the faces of the people, while on the other hand, it has also created problems related to traffic and travel. Overall, the uncertain weather of August is giving both relief and challenges to the people of Delhi.