Waterlogged roads, waist-deep water and crawling traffic - heavy rain in Delhi on Monday brought life to a standstill. But it is not over. The national capital is once again witnessing rain, which is expected to intensify through the day. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the capital, warning of lightning, thunderstorms with gusty winds and heavy rain.
According to an IMD update issued at 6:45 am, heavy rainfall is likely over Delhi during the next two to three hours.
The IMD, in its advisory, said that moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and winds of 30-40 kmph is likely at many places in the city. Heavy rain is expected at a few places.
The warning has been issued for several districts, including Central Delhi, East Delhi, New Delhi, North Delhi, North East Delhi, North West Delhi, Shahdara, South Delhi, South East Delhi, South West Delhi, West Delhi.
For now, flight operations at Delhi Airport are normal, according to a passenger advisory.
"As per the Indian Meteorological Department's forecast, inclement weather conditions are expected in the vicinity of Delhi Airport. However, flight operations at Delhi Airport are currently normal."
Look Back At Delhi's Monday Rain
On Monday, a total of 15 flights were diverted from Delhi airport due to adverse weather conditions, including three international flights. Of these, 12 were diverted to Jaipur, two to Chandigarh and one to Lucknow.
But what caused the sudden heavy rain? Dr Shashi Kant, a scientist at the IMD, attributed it to dry northerly winds and moisture-laden easterly winds.
"There are two main reasons for today's intense rainfall. On one hand, dry northerly winds are blowing into Delhi from the north, while on the other, a low-pressure area forming near West Bengal is causing moisture-laden easterly winds to flow in from the Bay of Bengal. The interaction between these two air masses has resulted in high-intensity rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms in Delhi," he said.
Gurugram Submerged Once Again
Several parts of neighbouring Gurugram witnessed severe waterlogging on Monday after an hour of rain. Key areas including Rajiv Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Railway Road, Sector 5, Old Delhi Road, Mehrauli Road and Basai Road were some of the most affected.
Visuals from the ground showed school buses stranded on a submerged road, and motorists dragging their vehicles. In view of the disruption caused by rain, the Gurugram administration asked offices to allow employees to work-from-home (WFH) and schools to teach through online mode.
