NEW DELHI – On Friday night and Saturday morning, a new round of heavy rain slammed the national capital and the territories around it. This gave people a break from the heat for a short time, but it also caused a lot of problems. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red signal for Delhi, saying that further rain and thunderstorms are likely to happen all day.
The heavy rain has caused serious traffic problems and flooding in many important places, such as Panchkuian Marg, Mathura Road, and Connaught Place. Traffic is flowing slowly all around the city, so commuters should be ready for delays.
Airlines send out warnings because flights are late.
Even though the weather was bad, Delhi Airport said on X that “all flight operations at Delhi Airport are currently normal.” The airport’s statement also said that officials on the ground were working with stakeholders to make sure that passengers had a “hassle-free” trip.
But Flightradar, a service that tracks flights, showed a different story. As of 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, 135 planes were late. This included 15 flights coming into Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and 120 flights leaving.
Because of the travel disruption, big airlines have told their passengers:
IndiGo: The airline posted on X to warn passengers that the rain would cause traffic jams. It told passengers to give themselves “extra time” to go to the airport, think about “alternate routes if possible,” and check the airline’s website or app for their flight status before departing.
SpiceJet: The airline also put out a warning on its website and social media, saying that the “heavy downpour” could affect flights coming and going from Delhi airport and telling passengers to check their flight status.
The IMD says that Saturday’s high temperature will be 33 degrees Celsius and the low will be 25 degrees Celsius. The weather service said that the rain and thunderstorms will keep on for the next few days. Another round of rain is forecast on August 13 and 14.