Rain lashed Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) for the second consecutive day on Monday throwing traffic out of gear while sending doctors into a tizzy as they fear surge in swine flu cases due to the erratic weather. The showers also affected flight operation in the morning. The Met Department has predicted similar weather conditions on Tuesday till noon.
The national Capital received 60.4 milimetres of rainfall till Monday evening leading to waterlogging in major parts of the city affecting vehicular movement. Students appearing for CBSE Board Examination in Delhi and adjoining areas had tough time reaching their centres. The minimum temperature was recorded at two notches above the normal at 14.8 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature settled five notches below the season’s average at 22.1 degrees Celsius.
“The western disturbance is still active because of which rain and thundershowers are likely till afternoon. There might be mist during early morning while the sky shall be partly cloudy,” said an official in IMD. Neighbouring States like UP, Rajasthan and Haryana witnessed similar weather conditions with Rabi crops being destroyed in the region. Jammu & Kashmir witnessed fresh snowfall since Sunday because of the western disturbance which formed over Afghanistan and Pakistan and later moved towards India.
Vehicular movements came to a grinding halt on many roads. According to the traffic police, the most affected parts were Dhaula Kuan, Delhi Cantonment, lajpat Nagar, Greater Kailash, Pahadganj, Nehru Place, ITO, Subhashnagar, Anand Parbat, Tikal Nagar and Mangolpuri. The Delhi Police issued traffic advisory following waterlogging in various areas. Unusual rainfall also affected flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi. According to Delhi International Airport limited, 34 domestic flights and three International flights have been delayed due to low visibility at the airport. Visibility dropped at the airport significantly on Monday morning.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also tweeted showing concern over the incessant rain. “Traffic police, pl clear traffic jams. AAP volunteers, pl help traffic police, wherever possible,” he tweeted. Civic agencies have been informed to remove the waterlogging and clear the roads, he added.