Delhi weather: NCR reels under heavy rains as IMD issues orange alert, flood warnings and traffic snarls grip region

Heavy downpours lashed Delhi-NCR on Monday, bringing much of the region to a standstill with submerged roads, endless traffic snarls and a flood alert issued by the Delhi government.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) upgraded its advisory for the capital to orange, warning of moderate to heavy showers in the coming days.

Visibility dropped sharply in parts of the city as intermittent rain turned intense during the afternoon. At Palam airport, the IMD reported that visibility fell from 2,500 metres at 2.30 pm to 800 metres by 3 pm. Safdarjung station recorded 18.6 mm of rainfall till 5.30 pm, while Aya Nagar logged the highest at 48.9 mm.

“The city will continue to see on-and-off rain till September 5,” Mahesh Palawat, vice president (meteorology and climate change) at Skymet, told PTI. He explained, “This spell is being driven both by the monsoon and an unusually active western disturbance, which has been causing heavy rainfall in the Himalayan states and influencing weather in Delhi as well.”

Flood alerts and waterlogging across NCR
The weather chaos extended beyond Delhi, with Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad grappling with severe waterlogging.

According to a ToI report, traffic jams stretched for kilometres, including a four-kilometre bottleneck from Hero Honda Chowk to Narsinghpur on NH-48, as waterlogging left vehicles stranded. In some areas, water levels rose to two to three feet.

The Delhi government issued a flood alert after 29,313 cusecs of water was released from Hathnikund Barrage on Monday morning. Officials were instructed to monitor embankments closely and relocate residents in low-lying areas.

“As the water level of ORB (Delhi Old Railway Bridge) may cross the danger level and is likely to exceed 206.50m, a CWC advisory may be expected soon. So, all the Sector Officers are hereby advised to keep a strict vigil in their respective areas and to take necessary action at vulnerable points, such as people residing within the river embankments, shall be warned and shifted to safer places,” a Delhi government order said, as quoted by ANI.

A leakage was also reported at a Gurugram flyover following the heavy downpour, while visuals showed the Signature Tower Chowk underpass inundated. Rising Yamuna levels prompted authorities to close the Old Railway Bridge to traffic starting Tuesday evening.

Travel disruptions
The disruption spilled into air travel as well. IndiGo issued a public advisory on X, warning passengers of delays.

“Traffic towards the airport is currently slower in several areas. We recommend planning your commute in advance and checking your flight status before heading out,” the airline said. Air India also urged passengers to verify flight timings before travel.

The IMD reported that Monday’s maximum temperature stood at 30.8°C, nearly 4°C below normal, while the minimum settled at 23.7°C, almost 3°C under the season’s average. Humidity levels hovered between 90% and 71% through the day.

Air quality in Delhi improved due to the showers, with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recording an AQI of 60 at 4 pm, categorised as ‘satisfactory’.

For Tuesday, the IMD has forecast cloudy skies with moderate rain, while a fresh spell accompanied by thunder and lightning is expected on September 3.