Heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds and thunderstorms battered Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) early Sunday.
Although the rainfall provided a much-needed respite from the sweltering summer heat, it caused significant disruptions by causing waterlogging and flight delays. Several roads and underpasses were waterlogged, leading to traffic.
More than 100 flights were affected due to a strong storm and heavy downpour at Indira Gandhi International Airport. Around 49 flights were diverted between 11:30 pm on Saturday to 4:00 am on Sunday, the airport authority said on Sunday..
As per the latest data from IMD, the highest wind speed was reported at Safdarjung (Airport) at 82 km/h last night at around 2 am, followed by 76 km/h at Pragati Maidan. The lowest wind speed was reported at 37 km/h at Delhi University (North Delhi).
The latest advisory by the Delhi Airport said that flight operations are still affected due to disruptions last night. The airport urged passengers to keep checking their flight’s status and stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest updates.
As per the latest data, rainfall measurements recorded across various parts of Delhi until early morning include:
Safdarjung: 81 mm
Palam: 68 mm
Pusa: 71 mm
Mayur Vihar: 48 mm
Many other parts of the city received between 5 and 8 cm of rainfall.
Several vehicles were seen stalled due to waterlogging in the underpass towards the airport. The main underpass connecting Delhi to the airport experienced severe waterlogging due to the overnight rainfall. As a result, dozens of vehicles were submerged and damaged.
A car was found submerged at the Minto Road after the area was filled with water during the heavy downpour. News agency ANI shared visuals of the same.