Incessant rainfall across Delhi and its adjoining National Capital Region (NCR) for the past few days led to waterlogging and heavy traffic jams across many areas. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a 'yellow alert' for the national capital region on Saturday, indicating a possibility of more rainfall throughout the day. So far, Delhi has exceeded both its annual and seasonal average rainfall in the early days of September, with total rainfall crossing the 1,000 mm mark—well above the normal level, according to the weatherman.
Extreme weather events are occurring in the national capital, as weather experts noted that during the entire monsoon season, Delhi typically receives nearly 650 mm of rainfall. But since Wednesday night, Delhi has received intermittent rain, which led to the capital's total rainfall reaching 1,000 mm, while the monsoon season is still active. This is the highest rainfall in September since 2021 and the second highest in at least the last decade.
The downpour also contributed to residents enjoying the cleanest air of the year so far since Friday. Following the rain, the Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped to 52, the lowest recorded this season. Earlier last year, the AQI was recorded at 45 on September 10, 2023, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Late-night showers caused waterlogging in several places in Delhi NCR, leading to heavy traffic jams. The IMD has highlighted that the expected impacts of rain over Delhi-NCR include localised flooding of roads, waterlogging in low-lying areas and the closure of underpasses, along with occasional reductions in visibility due to heavy rainfall. An increase in travel time is also anticipated.
The weather department advised people to check for traffic congestion on their route before leaving for their destination, follow any traffic advisories issued and avoid staying in vulnerable structures.
Additionally, after the rain, the maximum temperature recorded was 27.6 degrees C, six notches below normal, according to the weather department. Relative humidity oscillated between 100 and 96 per cent during the day.
The weather department has predicted a generally cloudy sky with very light to light rainfall for Saturday. The capital will be in the green zone, with maximum and minimum temperatures likely to hover around 32 and 21 degrees Celsius, respectively.