The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued a red alert for Delhi, warning of heavy rainfall accompanied by lightning and thunderstorms for a duration of three hours.
The warning was issued at 5:11 PM and is valid until 8:11 PM, with authorities advising residents to stay indoors and avoid low-lying or waterlogged areas as intense showers are expected to affect movement and daily activities across the city.
The IMD has further predicted rainfall with gusty winds in areas including Civil Lines, Red Fort, Lajpat Nagar, Narela, Bawana, Alipur, and ITO on Saturday evening and Sunday.
This warning comes after several parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region, including Noida, experienced rainfall on Saturday afternoon, leading to waterlogging and traffic delays across multiple areas.
According to IMD data, cited by news agency PTI, Safdarjung, the city’s main weather station, recorded 24.8 mm of rainfall until 5.30 pm, while Lodhi Road and Palam received 27 mm and 16.5 mm, respectively.
{{/usCountry}}According to IMD data, cited by news agency PTI, Safdarjung, the city’s main weather station, recorded 24.8 mm of rainfall until 5.30 pm, while Lodhi Road and Palam received 27 mm and 16.5 mm, respectively.
{{/usCountry}}The downpour led to waterlogging in multiple areas, causing traffic congestion across north, central, south, and southeast Delhi.
More showers predicted in Delhi
The weather department forecasting moderate to heavy showers accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning for Delhi on Sunday as well.
On Saturday, rain was recorded across north, central, south, and southeast Delhi. “According to officials of the Public Works Department, their flood control room received at least 10 complaints on waterlogging during the day, and most of them were cleared within an hour,” PTI reported, citing officials.
Meanwhile, the maximum temperature in the city settled at 34.5 degrees Celsius, 0.3 degrees below the season's average, while the minimum temperature stood at 25.7 degrees Celsius, 0.8 degrees below the seasonal norm. The relative humidity was recorded at 76 per cent at 5.30 pm.
Air quality in the city remained in the “satisfactory” category at 6 pm, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 93, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.