Knee-Deep Chaos: Heavy Rains Bring Delhi to a Standstill

Heavy downpour lashed Delhi on Monday, amid reports by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) that more rain is predicted in the next few days. As a result of the continuous rain, Yamuna floodplain faces a flood-like situation, as the authorities rush to adopt safety measures.

Meanwhile, citizens faced various issues such as waterlogging on the roads and traffic snarls, making travelling difficult. Some areas were submerged in knee-deep water, reports said.

Old Railway Bridge in Delhi Shut Down

Owing to the rain, the officials closed the Old Railway Bridge from Tuesday evening, local media reports said. The bridge allows passage over the Yamuna River. Meanwhile, residents staying in the low-lying areas near the Yamuna have been urged to relocate to a safer place temporarily, reports said.

Officials said the water level of the river is quickly rising and reportedly could overtake the danger mark of 206 meters by Tuesday evening.

As of 12 noon on Monday, the Yamuna had already reached 204.87 metres at the ORB, just below the danger mark of 205.33 metres. Authorities said the release of over 29,000 cusecs of water from the Hathnikund Barrage is likely to worsen the situation. 

IMD Had Earlier Warned of Heavy Rain in Delhi

The IMD had issued an orange alert for Delhi on Monday, warning of rainfall, thunderstorms, and strong winds. The alert was valid till 5:45 pm and covered all districts of the city. Earlier in the day, Delhi was under a yellow alert. Nearby areas such as Noida, Gurugram, and Faridabad were also under orange alerts, while Ghaziabad was placed under a yellow alert.

“Moderate rainfall continuing over Southern and Central parts of Delhi is likely to extend further to northern parts aa well. It is likely to continue during next 2 hours leading to moderate rainfall at many places and heavy rainfall at isolated places of Delhi. Residents in the affected regions are advised to stay alert and take necessary precautions (stay indoors, do not take shelter under trees or weak structures etc., check road/traffic conditions, and avoid unnecessary travels),” the IMD wrote on its social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Despite the warnings, the weather remained pleasant in the city through the day, with cloudy skies and cool winds. Visuals showed the Yamuna flowing above the danger mark at Loha Pul on Monday morning. The IMD later clarified that while Delhi has no weather warning for Tuesday, Gurugram and Faridabad remain under orange alert.

Meanwhile, temperatures across Delhi remained cool due to frequent downpours. The IMD revealed that Delhi registered 400.1 mm of rain in August, a rise of 72% in comparison to the average rainfall of 233.1 in this month.

Also, the reports stated that August this year was the coolest in last 13 years, with the IMD expecting heavy rain in September as well. Delhi is likely to breach the annual rainfall of 1,000 mm mark if the prediction by IMD turns out to be true.

Also Read: Weather Update: IMD Predicts Intense Showers Across Kashmir, Srinagar Issues Advisory