Delhi Faces Traffic Chaos Amid 'Orange' Rain Alert

New Delhi, Aug 14 (PTI): On Thursday morning, New Delhi experienced a spell of rain, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue an 'orange' alert for the city. The alert warns residents to "be prepared" for moderate to heavy rainfall expected later in the day, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning in various parts of the city.

The downpour caused waterlogging in several areas, leading to traffic disruptions and causing inconvenience to commuters during the busy morning hours. Data from the IMD indicated that over the last 24 hours, ending at 8.30 am on Thursday, the Safdarjung observatory recorded 13.1 mm of rainfall. Meanwhile, other areas such as Aya Nagar received 57.4 mm, Palam logged 49.4 mm, Lodhi Road recorded 12 mm, Pragati Maidan saw 9 mm, and Pusa received 5 mm of rainfall.

The heavy rain led to traffic snarls in different parts of the city, notably along the Ring Road, sectors of South Delhi, and key routes linking central and eastern parts of the city.

Footage from areas like near Subroto Park, Outer Ring Road, Dwarka Sector-20, Basai Road in Gurugram, and various sections of Ghaziabad and Noida showed vehicles navigating through water-logged streets.

"Due to the recent rains causing waterlogging at GTK Depot, Jahangirpuri, and Adarsh Nagar, traffic on Old GT Road is likely to be severely affected. To avoid congestion, commuters are advised to avoid taking Old GT Road and are requested to plan accordingly or take alternate routes," said the Delhi Traffic Police in a post on X.

The rains have brought the minimum temperature in Delhi down to 23.6 degrees Celsius, which is 3.2 degrees below the normal range. The maximum temperature for the day is expected to reach around 32 degrees Celsius, according to the IMD's forecast.

In terms of air quality, the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 110, classified as 'moderate,' as of 9 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. The AQI scale ranges from 'good' (0-50), 'satisfactory' (51-100), 'moderate' (101-200), 'poor' (201-300), 'very poor' (301-400), to 'severe' (401-500).