1-hour rain brings city to halt

An hour of heavy rain coupled with strong winds on Friday evening resulted in uprooting of trees at more than two-dozen places and waterlogging in several areas, leading to traffic jams.

An hour of heavy rain coupled with strong winds on Friday evening resulted in uprooting of trees at more than two-dozen places and waterlogging in several areas, leading to traffic jams. Even as it brought the much-needed respite from heat, Delhiites had to wade through a sea of problems.

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The Met department has predicted similar weather conditions for Saturday with partly cloudy sky and possibility of rain or thundershowers accompanied by squall in some areas.

The maximum temperature is likely to be around 36 degrees Celsius, while the minimum is expected to be 26 degrees Celsius.

Motorists, specially two-wheeler drivers were caught unawares when rain started around 3.30pm. Bikers huddled below trees and flyovers, while auto-rickshaw drivers and car drivers struggled to wade through the waterlogged roads. In all, the two civic agencies received seven complaints of major waterlogging. However, complaints about traffic jams outnumbered those of waterlogging. Waterlogging and subsequent traffic jams were reported from Ring Road near AIIMS and Dhaula Kuan, Bawana, Subji Mandi, Malkaganj and Kashmere Gate, among others.

Rainfall with high velocity winds caught commuters and residents by surprise. “To our horror, the top ventilator of the low-floor bus I was travelling in from Shalimar Bagh to Connaught Place came off due to the strong wind near Ashok Nagar,” said Priya Mitraa, a communication professional.

Housewife Rimi Bhat from Mayur Vihar, I said, “All my clothes were blown away from the fourth floor.”

But more than humans, the heavy rainfall accompanied by winds of velocity 42 kms per hour spelled trouble for trees. As many as 27 trees — a few of them old — were uprooted across the city, mostly in north and outer districts. The maximum temperature on Friday was recorded at 37.5 degrees Celsius, while the minimum was 28.6 degrees Celsius. BP Yadav, director, India Meteorological Department, said, “This kind of rainfall is normal for mid-June onwards in Delhi.”