Delhi experienced 108 mm of rain over the past 24 hours, marking the highest single-day rainfall for July in 14 years. The official weather station at Safdarjung reported this torrential downpour, which occurred between Wednesday and Thursday. The intense rainfall has claimed seven lives, inundated roads, and disrupted traffic movement across the city.
Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Meteorology and Climate Change at Skymet, noted that the previous record for the highest 24-hour rainfall in July was set on July 2, 1961.
During Wednesday evening’s downpour, which severely impacted daily life, Safdarjung recorded 79.2 mm of rain between 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm. Other areas were similarly affected, with Mayur Vihar receiving 119 mm, Pusa 66.5 mm, Delhi University 77.5 mm, and the Palam observatory 43.7 mm, according to news agency PTI.
The maximum temperature in Delhi was 37.8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. The heavy rains led to significant traffic jams throughout Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), with vehicles nearly submerged in waterlogged streets and residents stranded for hours.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted continued heavy rainfall for Delhi and its neighbouring States, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir, over the next five days. The IMD has predicted very heavy rainfall for Delhi-NCR today.
In response to the severe weather, Delhi’s schools are closed today, as announced late last night by Education Minister Atishi on X. The weather department has also classified Delhi as an “area of concern” in the National Flash Flood Guidance Bulletin, advising residents to stay indoors, secure windows and doors, and avoid unnecessary travel.
