Rain brings relief to parched city but turns roads into waterways

The Millennium City received the first monsoon showers on Sunday, leading to temperatures dropping by a few notches. Heavy rains started lashing the city from 1 pm onward, providing much needed relief to residents who had been reeling under scorching heat for the past one month.

The Millennium City received the first monsoon showers on Sunday, leading to temperatures dropping by a few notches. Heavy rains started lashing the city from 1 pm onward, providing much needed relief to residents who had been reeling under scorching heat for the past one month.

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According to the meteorological department, the city will continue to witness heavy rains till June 19. For the next three days, the temperature would be around 35 degrees Celsius. “The present weather will continue till June 19. The temperatures are likely to rise from Friday,”said an official at the department.

On Sunday, the city received rainfall of 62.8 mm. The humidity level has climbed up to 100%, thereby posing a threat to a host of vector-borne diseases like dengue, malaria, Japanese Encephalitis and chikanguniya.

The sudden rains also led to waterlogging and traffic snarls in areas like MG Road, IFFCO Chowk, Signature Tower and NH-8. The arterial roads in many residential sectors too have been affected.

The city’s lifeline — autos — too lost its pulse temporarily with many autos decided not to ply on the city roads. “It is very difficult to do business during the monsoon as CNG-run autos break down easily. An auto won’t start if even a small amount of water gets into its tank,” said Monu Bharadwaj, an auto driver.