A Delhi NCR red alert was issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday as an active monsoon system brought intense rainfall across the capital region.
Dark clouds hung over the city through the morning. Steady rain combined with gusty winds cut visibility on several main roads, forcing vehicles to move with headlights on throughout the day.
IMD Warns Of More Heavy Rain
The IMD rain warning covers Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Faridabad. Heavy to very heavy showers are likely to continue until August 3. Officials linked the wet spell to a deep depression over the northwest Bay of Bengal.
The system is expected to move inland and trigger widespread rain across large parts of north, central and eastern India. Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are also likely to receive heavy rainfall in the coming days.
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Delhi’s maximum temperature dropped sharply on Tuesday. It settled more than nine degrees lower than the previous day, making it the city’s coolest July reading in three years. While the rain brought welcome relief from recent humidity, it also caused major disruption.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the Public Works Department and the New Delhi Municipal Council responded to well over 100 complaints about waterlogging, uprooted trees and power outages.
Waterlogging And Travel Advisory
Barakhamba Road, an area not usually prone to flooding, saw water collect outside several government offices. The Hanuman Road stretch near Connaught Place also turned waterlogged. In south Delhi’s Shahpur Jat, a tree fell on two parked autorickshaws. Fortunately, the drivers escaped unhurt.
Authorities urged commuters to check road conditions before heading out. They also advised people to avoid low-lying and flood-prone stretches and allow extra travel time.
Residents should stay indoors during thunderstorms and lightning. Officials have also asked people to keep an eye on updates from local administrations, as the rain is expected to continue for several more days before easing.
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