Heavy Rains Cripple Life In Delhi: Relief Likely Soon
Key Takeaways:
- Delhi-NCR witnessed two intense spells of heavy to very heavy rainfall within 24 hours, triggering widespread waterlogging and traffic disruption.
- Safdarjung recorded 99.1 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, the heaviest spell of the season, while Lodi Road received 98.3 mm.
- Safdarjung's August rainfall has reached 381.7 mm, making it the third-highest August rainfall in about two decades.
- Rainfall is expected to reduce sharply as the monsoon trough moves northward, with Delhi's temperature likely to rise towards 36°C around the weekend.
- Forecast Validity: Next 3 to 5 days.
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Heavy to very heavy rains pounded the Delhi area for the second time in the last 24 hours. The first downpour was yesterday afternoon, with a near repeat in the very early hours this morning. The consecutive deluge brought life to a standstill, leaving waterlogged roads, waist-deep water in lanes and traffic snarls. Heavy rains lashed the NCR as well, across Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad alike.
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The heaviest downpour of this season crippled life, impacting road, rail and air operations. Yesterday afternoon, 15 flights were diverted, including international ones, to Jaipur, Lucknow and Chandigarh. Many were cancelled and rescheduled during the day. However, air operations have returned to normal, albeit with the cascade effect still causing minor hitches.
The hazardous weather was on account of the convergence of two airmasses with different characteristics, dry and moist respectively, aided by the proximity of the seasonal monsoon trough. There is a low-level cyclonic circulation over Haryana and the neighbouring region, another trigger for weather activity. Dry winds from the north bumped into the moisture-laden easterly winds, fuelled by the low-pressure area over Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
A strong east-west-oriented shear zone along 22°N is pumping heat and humidity to accentuate the weather activity. The monsoon trough is likely to move away northward, keeping some distance from Delhi. The worst seems to be over, and weather conditions are likely to improve as the day progresses.
The base station, Safdarjung, received the heaviest downpour of this season and recorded 99.1 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours. Earlier, the observatory had registered a similar count, with 99 mm of rainfall on 08th Aug 2026. Lodi Road and Palam recorded 98.3 mm and 68 mm of rainfall, respectively, during the same period.
With this, Delhi's record station, Safdarjung, has accumulated 381.7 mm of rainfall during this month, which is the third highest in the last about 20 years. It now competes with 400.1 mm of rainfall in Aug 2025 and 390.3 mm in Aug 2024. However, the rains will be rather scarce and, at best, reduced to just a few and far between.
With minimal rains during the remaining days of the month, the mercury will be set to rise and may clock 36°C around the weekend. Today, the day temperature may get arrested at 32°C (+/-1°C), below normal by about 3°C. The surface winds are likely to become strong, more so in the afternoon hours from tomorrow onwards.
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