Delhi: Monsoon rains lead to traffic chaos, flights canceled
Delhi is experiencing heavy rain with the arrival of the monsoon on Thursday. The spell provided a welcome reprieve after days of hot and humid weather that saw temperatures rise beyond 40 degrees Celsius. The constant rain, on the other hand, has wreaked havoc in the capital city, as water logging has impeded road and aviation operations, causing officials to cancel several flights.
Streets submerge, traffic comes to a standstill
Many city streets were submerged in rain, and traffic jams was reported during the morning rush hour. East of Kailash, Burari, Shahdara, Patparganj, ITO crossing, India Gate, Barapullah, Ring Road, Delhi-Noida border, and Delhi-Gurgaon highways all experienced rain this morning, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The temperature in these places was reported to be 27.6 degrees Celsius.
Waterlogging reported from several areas
Waterlogging was reported near Pragati Maidan, Delhi-Meerut Expressway near Vinod Nagar, Pul Prahaladpur underpass, IP Estate in front of WHO building, under Zakhira flyover, Jahangirpuri Metro station, Loni Road roundabout and Azadpur market underpass. Neighboring Gurgaon too reported waterlogging.
Air-traffic disrupted as flights canceled or diverted
According to authorities, the heavy rains disrupted air traffic in Delhi, causing numerous planes to be canceled. They stated that two planes on way to Delhi were diverted owing to heavy rain. An Air India flight to Amritsar and an IndiGo flight were routed via Jaipur. Several other flights were rescheduled while Airlines advised travelers to monitor flight status.
Here is what SpiceJet tweeted on situation
Traffic advisory for hassle-free travel in Delhi
Meanwhile, Delhi traffic police has issued a traffic advisory for commuters for hassle-free travel. Citing the IMD report, the traffic police said that "Thunderstorm with light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds" would occur over and adjoining areas of entire Delhi. "Commuters are advised to plan their journey accordingly," the traffic police said in a tweet.
What did IMD predict?
Meanwhile, the IMD verified the arrival of the southwest monsoon into the city, and forecasted heavy rain on Thursday and moderate rain on Friday. The high temperature is expected to fall to 34-35 degrees Celsius. "Southwest Monsoon has advanced into entire Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and J&K, parts of Rajasthan, entire Delhi, parts of Punjab and Haryana today, the June 30," IMD said.
'This monsoon likely to put end to Delhi's rain shortage'
According to weather experts cited by NDTV, the monsoon would likely produce excellent rainfall in the first 10 days and help offset the rain deficit in Delhi. Notably, the city has received just 24.5 mm of rain since June 1, compared to the typical 66.7 mm. The data was collected during the third week of June, from June 16 to 20.
