Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) have been experiencing relentless rainfall and thunderstorms since early June 28, following heavy rain on June 29 that provided relief from the heatwave. The severe downpour has caused significant waterlogging and traffic disruptions across the city, with the AAP government facing criticism for poor maintenance of roads and open drains.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted generally cloudy skies and varying intensities of rain accompanied by gusty winds for the next seven days in Delhi. For June 28, the forecast includes light to moderate rain or thunderstorms, with temperatures similar to the previous day and wind speeds reaching up to 35 km/h.
The weather on June 29 is expected to be slightly cooler, with a high of 36°C and a low of 28°C. The city will likely experience light to moderate rain or thunderstorms, with winds reaching 30-40 km/h. On June 30, temperatures will drop to 34°C, with moderate to heavy rain and gusty winds.
For July 1 and 2, the IMD forecasts thunderstorms with moderate rain, with temperatures steady at a high of 34°C and a low of 27°C. Wind speeds will continue to vary, maintaining a range of 25-35 km/h.
Traffic Disruptions and Safety Advisories
The ongoing weather conditions are expected to cause minor traffic disruptions and increase the chance of vehicle accidents due to water accumulation on roads. Residents are advised to check for traffic congestion before leaving and avoid areas prone to waterlogging.
The IMD reported on June 27 that conditions are favourable for the southwest monsoon to advance further into more parts of North India. The heatwave conditions have decreased, paving the way for the monsoon to progress into Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu over the next two to three days.
Delhi received 150 mm of rainfall in just three hours on June 28, marking one of the wettest spells the capital has recorded this year. This heavy rainfall has caused severe waterlogging in several parts of the city. The main observatory in Safdarjung recorded 228 mm of rain in the past 24 hours.
Visuals from various parts of the city, including Raisen Road, Firozeshah Road, Safdarjung area, and AIIMS, show severe waterlogging.
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Commuters like Anjali are facing significant inconveniences. “I am going to my coaching centre… We are facing a lot of inconveniences… This is the condition after the first rain… If this is the situation on the main road, what would the condition in lanes be?” she said.
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BJP councillor Ravi Negi blamed the AAP government for the waterlogging, citing poor maintenance of PWD drains. “We’ve been shouting in the assembly to clean PWD drains… Delhi is drowning now,” he stated.
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While the rainfall brought relief from the heat, the waterlogging frustrated many residents. Social media platforms were flooded with visuals of the downpour, with people expressing their relief and frustration over the situation on the roads.
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Neelkant Bakshi, MD of Packolabel Systems Pvt. Ltd., shared a post with the witty caption, “It shouldn’t have rained so much, O God. The drains are not clean here—this is Delhi, Lord! Delhi submerged #DelhiRains,” along with videos showing a car submerged in water. Another individual described the situation in Delhi-NCR as a “natural swimming pool.”
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The IMD, in a social media post, shared, “Thunderstorm with light to moderate intensity rain with heavy intensity rain over a few places and winds with speed of 20-40 Km/h would occur over and adjoining areas of entire Delhi and NCR, during the next 2 hours.” In a separate post, the department provided crucial advisories on staying safe during heavy rainfall, warning of slippery roads, low visibility, traffic disruptions, and localized waterlogging in low-lying areas. They advised residents to avoid waterlogged areas and check for traffic congestion on their routes.
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