Delhi woke up to grey skies on Sunday morning after a night of heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms. The inclement weather led to the diversion of 49 flights, while the roads leading up to the airport also saw waterlogging. In some areas of Delhi, the waterlogging was so severe that it submerged entire vehicles, forcing passengers to flee for safety.
Cars submerged in Delhi
Visuals shared by news agency ANI show a bus and a car submerged under water at Delhi Cantt.
Another video shared by ANI again shows a car almost completely underwater - this one was filmed at Minto Road, an area that experiences recurrent waterlogging issues.
The heavy rainfall and strong winds did not just submerge cars and divert flights, it also uprooted trees and electricity poles and led to traffic congestion in many parts of the national capital.
{{/usCountry}}The heavy rainfall and strong winds did not just submerge cars and divert flights, it also uprooted trees and electricity poles and led to traffic congestion in many parts of the national capital.
{{/usCountry}}The sudden change in weather led to a sharp drop in mercury with the city recording a minimum temperature of 19.8 degrees Celsius, 6.9 notches below the normal.
Roads turned to rivers
While the thunderstorm brought welcome relief from the sweltering heat in Delhi, the unexpected showers led to traffic congestion as many roads saw waterlogging.
“Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, divided by language, united by turning into river rafting spots within 15 minutes of rain,” read one post on X.
“It is extremely sad and annoying to see all our big cities in this mess during rainy season every year. We can’t be a developed economy with this quality of infrastructure,” another X user posted.
The weather department had issued a red alert on Saturday night warning about an approaching thunderstorm cell from the west and northwest. It had forecast severe thunderstorms or dust-raising winds accompanied by frequent lightning and gusty winds under its influence.