Monsoon: Delhi witnesses heavy rainfall today, several areas waterlogged
Heavy rain hit Delhi and its suburbs on Saturday, causing flooding and traffic delays. In the coming days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts light rain in the nation's capital coupled with isolated thunderstorms and lightning. The lowest temperature was measured at 28.3 °C, which is one degree above average, while the highest temperature is predicted to reach 38 °C, according to the IMD.
Why does this story matter?
According to weather experts cited by NDTV, the ongoing monsoon rains would likely produce excellent rainfall in the first few initial days and help offset the rain deficit in Delhi. Notably, Delhi has received just 24.5mm of rain since June 1, compared to the typical 66.7mm. The data was collected during the third week of June, from June 16 to 20.
Streets submerge, traffic comes to a standstill
On Saturday, there were reports of traffic bottlenecks all across the city and adjoining areas as many main roads were flooded by the rain. Kailash Colony, Sarita Vihar, Burari, Noida, Shahdara, Nevada, Govind Puri, and the vicinity of India Gate are just a few of the Delhi-NCR localities that experienced rain. Several Delhiites shared photos of the rain in the nation's capital on Twitter.
Relative humidity was recorded at 72% in Delhi
The IMD had predicted rain in Delhi for Saturday. According to the IMD bulletin, the relative humidity at 8:30 am was 72%. The IMD predicts a typically overcast sky with thunderstorms and light rain in the national capital throughout the next three days.
What about the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi?
The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi was in the satisfactory (85) category at 1:05 pm, whereas it was 70 at 9:00 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board. An AQI of zero to 50 is regarded as good, 51 to 100 satisfactory, 101 to 200 moderate, 201 to 300 bad, 301 to 400 extremely poor, and 401 to 500 severe.
Other states witness monsoon fury
The monsoon rains continued to lash parts of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Increased water levels in the Godavari river have affected the low-level regions of Odisha and AP. In Maharashtra, a large number of students failed to turn up for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) due to heavy rains. Meanwhile, a seven-year-old lost his life in Rajasthan due to extremely heavy rainfall.
84 dead in Maharashtra floods
Maharashtra witnessed heavy downpours and flooding over the last week, which led to 84 people dying and 66 being injured. The IMD has issued a red alert in Mumbai, Thane, Gadchiroli district, and the Konkan region. The NDRF managed to rescue close to 6,000 residents from the floods, which damaged more than 40 houses across the state.
Flood water recedes in Assam, landslides in Himachal Pradesh
About 170 villages are still affected by heavy floods that battered Assam and killed over 200 people. As per officials, the condition has improved due to flood waters receding, but 2.2 lakh citizens continue to be affected. Flash floods in Himachal Pradesh led to landslides and villages being inundated. A cloudburst incident last week led to multiple buses being damaged in Manali.
