Several parts of Delhi witnessed heavy rainfall on Thursday morning, bringing much-needed relief from the persistently humid weather. The national capital also experienced a downpour on Wednesday, causing waterlogging and traffic snarls. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts light to moderate showers on Thursday, followed by a decrease in rainfall intensity as the monsoon trough, currently near Delhi, shifts away.
On Wednesday, Delhi-NCR experienced a heavy downpour, leading to severe waterlogging in several areas such as the Zakhira underpass, NH-24 highway, Moti Bagh, Tughlaq Road, Akshardham flyover, and RK Puram. Northwest and West Delhi were the hardest hit, with the Pusa weather station recording 80 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours leading up to 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, followed by 73 mm at the Pitampura station during the same period. From 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. that day, the Pusa station recorded an additional 7mm of rainfall.
Moderate rainfall was observed in parts of North, Central, and South Delhi. The Narela station recorded 34mm of rainfall, the Delhi University station recorded 29mm, and the Safdarjung station—the benchmark for Delhi—recorded 27mm. From 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the Safdarjung station saw an additional 9mm of rainfall, while the Delhi University station recorded another 1mm. By Wednesday evening, the Safdarjung station had recorded 154.2mm of rainfall in July, just below the average of 156.4mm typically seen by July 24.
In June, Delhi recorded its highest rainfall in 88 years, with the IMD reporting 228mm from 8:30 am on June 27 to 8:30 am on June 28. The total rainfall of 235.5mm set a new record for the highest 24-hour rainfall in June since 1936. The heavy rainfall has caused water levels in the Yamuna River to rise, leading authorities to alert residents of Noida villages along the riverbanks. Rain intensity in the capital increased starting Tuesday as the monsoon trough, previously nearer to central India, shifted closer to Delhi-NCR.
