Delhi: Forecast is 3 days of rain, even more traffic misery

It could well be a repeat of Friday for three days in a row with the Met department predicting thundershowers in the Capital till Wednesday.

It could well be a repeat of Friday for three days in a row with the Met department predicting thundershowers in the Capital till Wednesday.

Vehicles cross a water-logged area near Lajpat Nagar after heavy rain in New Delhi on Saturday. (Arun Sharma/HT Photo)

The rain, though not expected to be as heavy as Sunday’s, is likely to result in waterlogged roads and mile-long traffic snarls, making daily commute to schools and offices a nightmare.

The city, which has seen an active monsoon so far, received 41.2mm rain on Sunday.

Over 90 complaints of waterlogging were made from different parts of the city and 23 calls were made to civic bodies to report fallen trees blocking roads. Five complaints also reported dangerously weak buildings.

However, no major traffic jams were witnessed as it was a holiday, though water in some areas reached knee-length. But, Monday may see a repeat of chaotic Friday when 15mm of rain choked the city’s roads.

“While the rains will not be as heavy as on Sunday, various parts of the city will see thunder showers in the coming three days,” a Met department official said on Sunday.

While the Safdarjung Observatory recorded 41.2mm of rain, Palam witnessed 52mm and Ayanagar recorded 71.7mm.

Sunday’s maximum temperature was 29.6 degree Celsius, four degrees below normal and the minimum was recorded at 25 degrees, one degree below normal.

August is the rainiest month of Delhi’s monsoon season with an average of 11 rainy days during which the city receives close to 253mm of rainfall. Last year, August 11 was Delhi’s rainiest day at 82mm.