Delhi: After heavy rain, alert sounded for July 21

The IMD has issued a ‘yellow’ alert for Thursday, with light to moderate rainfall on the forecast. Moderate rainfall is also likely on Friday and Saturday, while light rainfall is a possibility on Sunday.

An IMD bulletin issued Wednesday said enhanced rainfall activity is likely over Northwest India for the next three days. This is on account of the monsoon trough being near its normal position. The trough, which is a low-pressure area, is likely to remain near its normal position for the next two to three days, the bulletin said. A western disturbance, which is a storm that originates in the Mediterranean region, also lies over north Pakistan and the neighbourhood.

The Met Department’s warning on the impact of heavy rain points to the possibility of waterlogging and traffic disruptions. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

On Wednesday, the Safdarjung weather observatory recorded 52.4 mm of rainfall till 5.30 pm. The highest amount of rainfall in the city was recorded at Palam – 92.4 mm. The weather station at Lodhi Road recorded 64 mm, while Aya Nagar recorded 46.9 mm.

The maximum temperature recorded Wednesday was 35.1 degrees Celsius, close to the normal for this time of the year. The minimum temperature was 28.2 degrees Celsius, a degree above the normal for this time of the year. The maximum temperature is likely to fall slightly to around 33 degrees Celsius Friday.

Till Wednesday, the Safdarjung weather observatory had already recorded excess rainfall for the month of July. With around 10.2 mm of rainfall recorded Tuesday, the Safdarjung observatory had recorded 165.1 mm of rain this month, against a normal of 126.9 mm so far. This is an excess of 30%.

From June 1, Safdarjung has recorded 189.6 mm of rainfall, 6% short of the normal of 201 mm so far for the monsoon season.

The weather observatory at Palam had a much larger deficit of 60%. From June 1 till Wednesday, Palam had received only 82.6 mm of rainfall against a normal of 204.8 mm for the season, so far. Some of that deficit is likely to be wiped off with the rainfall recorded Wednesday.

The India Meteorological Department had issued a ‘yellow’ alert for the day, which is a warning to ‘be aware’. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

Although rains came as a respite from the scorching heat, it caused extensive waterlogging across the national capital.

Waterlogging disrupted traffic on several bustling roads under PWD as well as colony roads under the MCD.

The MCD received complaints of waterlogging from Satya Niketan, Vishnu garden, Janakpuri, Dwarka sector 3, Nehru Nagar, Prem Nagar Market near Thyagaraj stadium, Karol Bagh, Inderpuri, Mansarovar Garden, Tank road, West Patel Nagar. There were also reports of trees getting uprooted at Dwarka Sector 1, Tughlakabad village, Delhi gate, Paschim Vihar, Netaji Subhash Place.

Vehicular movement was also affected due to waterlogging following heavy rainfall on Ring Road, Palam Metro station and several other places.

A senior MCD official said pumps were installed at some places. Choke points were cleared and water eventually receded.

Meanwhile, in Gurgaon, Vikram Singh, Executive Engineer, GMDA, said that many of the critical points such as all underpasses, Narsinghpur, Medanta road, Hero Honda Chowk, Sector 9A, Golf Course Road, Sector 30/31 dividing road, Mayfield Garden, Signature Tower, MDI Chowk, Atul Kataria Chowk and Rajeev Chowk were free of waterlogging. “Waterlogging issues were reported on Maruti Road, Dundahera & Laxman Vihar. Concerned teams are looking into the matter,” he added.

.