Delhi-NCR woke up to a waterlogged weekend as heavy rain lashed the region on Raksha Bandhan, disrupting daily life and travel. The downpour, which began Friday night, continued into Saturday morning, flooding streets, underpasses, and major intersections, and leaving large parts of the national capital waterlogged.
Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport were also affected. According to Flightradar data, around 90 flights were delayed and four cancelled. In an advisory, IGI Airport confirmed that the city was facing “inclement weather conditions” but added that operations were “currently normal.”
Commuters bore the brunt of the chaos. Traffic jams stretched for hours, particularly at key choke points like the Sarai Kale Khan intersection. “My flight landed from Thiruvananthapuram at 11:45 pm, but it took me over three hours to reach Mayur Vihar, just 25 km away,” a resident told India Today, describing multiple waterlogged stretches along the way.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Delhi, warning of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms through the morning. The situation was worsened by holiday traffic, with jams reported on National Highway-44 and near the Haryana border.
Elsewhere, the IMD issued an orange alert for Himachal Pradesh, forecasting moderate to heavy rain in three districts. The hill state has already recorded over 200 rain-related deaths since June.
While the showers brought much-needed relief from heat and humidity, the heavy rainfall is expected to cause further disruptions for residents and travellers throughout the day. Authorities have urged people to avoid non-essential travel and remain cautious in waterlogged areas.
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
