Delhi Rains: Showers Lash National Capital, Cause Waterlogging in Low-lying Areas

A thunderstorm barrelledthrough the national capital on Saturday evening, uprooting trees and bringing moderate rains that flooded low-lying areas. Heavy waterlogging disruptedtraffic movement on key roads.

Visuals of rain were recorded in Rajpath, and waterlogging was witnessed in South Avenue. Heavy downpour also triggered waterlogging near Teen Murti area in the capital. Rains had been evading Delhi for the last few days, withthe city recording just traces of rainfall in the first five days of September.

The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides official figures for the city, recorded nil rainfall till Saturday morning.Normally, the observatory records 28.8 mm precipitation during the period.

The Palam and Lodhi road weather stations have also reported a rain deficiency of 99 and 100 percent, respectively, this month. Overall, the city has recorded 555.6 mm rainfall against the normal of 552.6 mm since June 1, when the monsoon season starts.

The IMD said on Saturday that a thunderstorm with wind speed of 20-40 Kmph and moderate to heavy intensity rain would occur over many places of the national capital during the next two hours, including other places.

“Thunderstorm with wind speed 20-40 Kmph and moderate to heavy intensity rainfall would occur over and in the adjoining areas of Panipat, Jind, Hissar, Bhiwani, Charkhidadri, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Rewari, Bhiwari, Nuh, Manesar, Gurugram, Kosli, Bawal, Sohna, Mathura, Bharatpur, Agra, Palwal, Faridabad, Gohana, Gaziyabad, Noida, Garmukteshar, Bulandshahar, Khair, Siyana and many places of entire Delhi during next 2 hours,” IMD said in a tweet.

“There is a forecast of cloudy weather and light rains on Sunday. Intermittent rains will be witnessed over the next six days,” IMD had said on August 30.

Delhi has recorded 236.5 mm rainfall against the normal of 245.7 mm in August so far, a deficiency of four per cent. Overall, it has gauged 555 mm precipitation against the normal of 521.8 mm since June 1, when the monsoon season starts.

The capital had gauged 119.6 mm precipitation in August last year, and 206.5 mm in 2018. It recorded 152.2 mm and 122.1 mm rainfall in August 2017 and 2016, respectively. The August rainfall in 2015 and 2014 stood at 195.4 mm and 139.1 mm. The rainfall in August 2013 was 321.4 mm.