Heavy rainfall lashed several parts of the National Capital on Wednesday evening, causing severe waterlogging in many areas across Delhi.
The downpour inundated key stretches of the city, including Shastri Park, Barakhamba Road, and Raisina Road. Parts of the National Capital Region (NCR), such as Noida and Ghaziabad, also reported flooding and traffic disruptions.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate to heavy showers accompanied by thunderstorms across the city over the next two hours.
The IMD issued a red alert for parts of Delhi and the NCR, warning of continued intense weather.
“Generally cloudy skies with moderate to heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning are likely to occur over Delhi between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm on Wednesday,” an IMD official said in a press statement released at 6:30 pm.
In its updated alert, the regional weather department stated that moderate to heavy rainfall, along with thunderstorms and lightning, is very likely to continue in Delhi and surrounding areas.
Other regions likely to receive moderate rainfall include Rajaund, Panipat, Sonipat, Tosham, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Sohna, Rewari, Narnaul, Nuh, Baghpat, Meerut, Modinagar, Pilakhua, Hapur, Bhiwadi, and Bulandshahr, among others, in the next two hours.
According to an IMD update at 7:30 pm, the Pragati Maidan area recorded 37 mm of rainfall with wind speeds exceeding 39 km per hour.
“The maximum temperatures were around 32 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperatures hovered around 24 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperatures were near normal, and maximum temperatures were also near normal for Delhi,” the IMD said.
In its latest forecast, the IMD predicted gusty winds with speeds of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour likely to continue in Delhi over the next few hours.
As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s air quality was in the “satisfactory” category at 4 pm, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 81. The major pollutants were carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O₃), and particulate matter (PM₁₀).
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’, and 401–500 ‘severe’.