The National Capital received heavy rainfall on July 8-9, breaking a 41-year record, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Delhi recorded 153 mm of rain in 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982, the IMD said.

According to the IMD, New Delhi’s Safdarjung
recorded the third highest 24-hour rainfall (for the month of July) on 8th-9th July, 2023, since 1958.

The Safdarjung weather station, which is the city’s weather base recorded 153 mm of rain till 8.30 am, the IMD said in a tweet along with the details of the five highest rainfall records of 24-hour rainfall in the month of July for New Delhi (Safdarjung) during 1958-2023.

In 1958, Safdarjung Observatory had recorded 266.2 mm of rain during the July 20-21 period while in 1982, it logged 169.9 during the July 25-26 period, IMD said.

In view of incessant rains in the National Capital, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday spoke to Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and took updates.

Shah spoke to Delhi L-G as moderate to heavy rain lashed several parts of Delhi and its adjoining areas. The downpour slowed down the traffic movement after waterlogging in several parts of the city.

Delhi and adjoining areas of the National Capital Region (NCR) continued to witness heavy rainfall on Sunday, resulting in waterlogging and traffic snarls in many parts of the city.

According to the IMD, rainfall recorded in the city during the past nine hours ending at 5:30 pm was 105.8 mm.

The prolonged spell of rain resulted in a dip in temperature as the maximum temperature was recorded at 30.8 degrees Celsius, six degrees below normal. The minimum temperature was recorded at 25.4 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal.

Vehicles in Delhi moved at a snail’s pace at various places as roads were clogged with heavy traffic jams following heavy rainfall during the day.

According to the Delhi Traffic Police, traffic movement was also affected on Aurobindo marg in the carriageway from Yusuf sarai towards IIT and vice-versa due to waterlogging near U-turn Green park.

Traffic on Pankha road in the carriageway from Uttam Nagar towards Delhi cantt was moving at snail’s pace due to uprooting of a tree near Sagarpur red light.

Traffic was affected in the carriageway from Kalindi Kunj towards Okhla and vice-versa due to waterlogging and breakdown of vehicles at Okhla underpass.

Traffic was also affected on Bhairon Marg in the carriageway from Ring road towards Mathura road and vice-versa due to waterlogging under Railway bridge Bhairon Marg. Traffic was diverted towards Pragati Maidan tunnel.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the IMD said, “Light to moderate fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely Western Himalayan Region, Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, Rajasthan during 9th-10th and Uttar Pradesh during next five days.”

For two days, the entire NCR (National Capital Region) has been witnessing heavy rain, which has triggered waterlogging problems and other significant issues.

The initial downpour of monsoon rain wreaked havoc in both residential and commercial areas of Delhi on Saturday, recording 126.1 mm of rainfall between 8.30 a.m. and 5.30 pm, the highest since the 24-hour rainfall of 133.4 mm on July 10, 2003, said an IMD (India Meteorological Department) official. The city had logged an all-time high of 266.2 mm on July 21, 1958.

The IMD also issued a ‘yellow’ alert for Sunday. Due to the rain, 15 buildings collapsed in the national capital on Saturday, and one house collapsed on Sunday morning. The wall of a newly built government school in Sriniwaspuri also collapsed.

For Monday, the IMD has forecast a generally cloudy sky with moderate rain and thundershowers in the National Capital. It has further said that the maximum and minimum temperatures in Delhi would be around 31 and 24 degrees Celsius respectively.