Wet Tuesday morning greets Delhi residents

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 20

Delhi experienced heavy rainfall early Tuesday morning, offering much-needed respite from the sweltering heat and humidity that gripped the city on Monday. However, the downpour, which began at dawn, brought down temperatures and significantly improved air quality, but also led to widespread waterlogging and traffic snarls across the capital.

The showers provided a welcome break from Monday’s heat, where temperatures soared to 35.6 degrees Celsius with humidity levels ranging between 67 pc and 87 pc. The rain cooled down the city, with the minimum temperature dropping to 23.8 degrees Celsius, the lowest recorded since July.

However, the incessant rainfall also caused severe waterlogging in multiple areas, including major roads such as Minto Bridge, IP Marg, Mundka, and Chatta Rail Chowk. Many vehicles were submerged under the Minto Bridge.

57.0 mm at Pitampura and 55.5 mm at Delhi University of rainfall was recorded between 5:30 am and 7:45 am. It prompted the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue an orange alert for parts of northwest and central Delhi, as well as the NCR region. Later, the alert was downgraded to a yellow warning for the entire Delhi-NCR area.

Key areas like Rohtak Road, Minto Bridge, IP Marg, and the vicinity of Nigambodh Ghat reported severe waterlogging, forcing the Delhi Traffic Police to redirect vehicles to alternate routes. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) received 41 complaints of waterlogging and fallen trees between 6 am and 6 pm, with the majority of waterlogging complaints coming from the Narela Zone in northwest Delhi with 10 complaints and the Rohini Zone in west Delhi with eight complaints of waterlogging.

As of 4 pm, the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded in the ‘satisfactory’ category at 66, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. Looking ahead, the IMD has issued a yellow warning for light to moderate rainfall from Thursday, August 22, to Saturday, August 24.