Heavy rain and thunderstorms swept across Delhi and its neighbouring cities early on Monday, October 12, bringing a sharp drop in temperature but leaving water standing on roads in several parts of the capital just as the working week began. Similar spells were reported in Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad.
Red alert before dawn
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red-alert nowcast for the capital at 3 am, warning of intense rain of more than 15 mm an hour and severe thunderstorms with wind gusts of 62 to 87 km per hour until 6 am. Later in the morning, the department said moderate to heavy rain with thunder was likely to continue over Delhi-NCR for another two to three hours.
Among the worst-hit spots was the area around the Jhandewalan Temple near Karol Bagh in central Delhi, where water collected around the temple premises on the second day of Navratri. Rain was also recorded in areas including Jantar Mantar, Kalkaji, Rajokri and around the Mahipalpur flyover.
Commute and flights
The showers coincided with the Monday morning rush, raising the risk of slow traffic at known choke points. The IMD had earlier warned of minor traffic disruption, water collecting on roads and in low-lying areas, and a greater chance of road accidents, and advised commuters to check traffic updates before setting out and avoid stretches that tend to flood.
Delhi airport issued a passenger advisory at 4.25 am saying bad weather was expected around the airport but flight operations were normal, and asked travellers to check with their airlines for the latest flight information.
Commuters in central Delhi face a second constraint on Monday: the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has closed entry and exit at Patel Chowk, Janpath, Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, Central Secretariat and Barakhamba Road stations from 6 am to 4 pm, citing security reasons ahead of the Opposition’s planned march to the Supreme Court. Interchange between lines remains available at these stations, the DMRC said.
What the forecast says
The wet spell is not expected to last. The IMD’s seven-day outlook, issued on Sunday evening, shows partly cloudy skies and no rain in Delhi from Tuesday onwards. Maximum temperatures are forecast to stay between 31 and 35 degrees Celsius over the coming days, with minimums of 22 to 25 degrees Celsius.
- October 13: maximum 32-34°C, minimum 23-25°C
- October 14: maximum 33-35°C, minimum 23-25°C
- October 15: maximum 31-33°C, minimum 23-25°C
- October 16 and 17: maximum 32-34°C, minimum 22-24°C
According to the IMD, daytime temperatures in the capital had already fallen by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius over the previous 24 hours, with maximums of 30 to 32 degrees Celsius and minimums of 21 to 24 degrees Celsius.
