New Delhi: Yesterday, rain and heavy thunderstorms in Delhi and the NCR caused widespread problems. IMD said wind speeds reached 82 kmph, and 81.2 mm of rain fell in the region from 11:30 pm to 5:30 am. This led to a red alert.
Moti Bagh, Minto Road, Delhi Cantonment and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg suffered heavy waterlogging because of the downpour. People and cars could be seen struggling to get around in the submerged areas. The Delhi-Gurugram Expressway and IFFCO Chowk became very crowded because of waterlogged areas and fallen trees.
Many flights at Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport were delayed, and some had to be diverted to Jaipur and Ahmedabad. Average departure delays were 46 minutes, but arrivals went up by an average of 21 minutes, FlightRadar24 reports. Before travelling to the airport, IndiGo and other airlines advise customers to check their scheduled flights. Earlier today at 3:59 am, IndiGo announced that harsh weather had meant some flight operations had to pause. However, these issues were resolved by 7:30 am.
The weather was intense because moisture and wind from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal met, according to the IMD. Authorities have told residents to avoid open spaces, avoid taking cover under trees and stay far from collapsed structures. To support drivers during the floods, the Delhi Traffic Police advised people to use Firoz Shah Road and Ratnapura instead of Minto Road and Mahipalpur.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, after reviewing the flood-damaged Majnu Ka Tilla, stated that the problems are serious and require immediate upgrades to the city’s drains. There is a serious problem in Delhi right now. All parts of the administration should respond to this situation by resolving waterlogging-prone areas, she advised reporters.
Thunderstorms and strong winds are likely to continue in Delhi-NCR for the next few days, and until Saturday, a yellow alert will be active. Authorities have told people to remain indoors and handle travel carefully.
With the storm behind us, city leaders and rescue teams are improving road conditions and trying to restore order. Emergency calls related to the rain totalled nearly 100 for the Delhi Fire Department. Prompt action by Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd. helped bring power back to affected areas.