Delhi breathes cleanest air in over 10 months; July rain surges above normal in Ridge

New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Delhi's Ridge weather station recorded 154 per cent excess rainfall in July, and the capital registered its cleanest air in more than 10 months on Wednesday, even as waterlogging and traffic snarls disrupted normal life. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Ridge weather station received 79.1 mm of rainfall between July 1 and 8.30 am on July 8, 154 per cent higher than the long-period average of 31.2 mm for the corresponding period. The rain led to waterlogging and traffic congestion across several parts of the city. Long queues of vehicles were seen on Rohtak Road, where traffic was almost brought to a standstill between Punjabi Bagh and Shadipur for several hours. The situation worsened as several two-wheeler riders took shelter under elevated Metro corridors, creating bottlenecks. Traffic congestion was also reported at the ITO intersection. Commuters faced delays on Ring Road, Outer Ring Road and National Highway 48, particularly near Dhaula Kuan, Mahipalpur and Rajokri due to reduced visibility and waterlogging. Vehicular movement was also affected on Mathura road near Ashram, the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway, Zakhira flyover, Moti Nagar, Patel Nagar, Naraina, AIIMS, South Extension, Lajpat Nagar, Moolchand, Azadpur, Mukarba Chowk and stretches of the Delhi-Noida Link Road. Traffic police personnel were deployed at major intersections to regulate traffic and clear congestion, while civic agencies worked to drain water from affected stretches. Authorities advised commuters to avoid waterlogged routes, maintain a safe distance between vehicles and check traffic updates before heading out. The city's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 59 in the 'satisfactory' category, the lowest since September 4, 2025, when it was 58. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', while 51-100 falls in the 'satisfactory' category. The weather office said cumulative rainfall till 8.30 am stood at 14.2 mm at Safdarjung, 19.2 mm at Palam, 17.8 mm at Lodhi Road, 54.3 mm at Ridge, 37.6 mm at Ayanagar, 18.6 mm at Rajghat, 44.5 mm at Pusa, 85.5 mm at Najafgarh and 24.5 mm at Mayur Vihar. Between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, Safdarjung received 26.0 mm of rainfall, Palam 27.9 mm, Lodhi Road 30.0 mm, Ridge 11.8 mm, Ayanagar 22.2 mm, Rajghat 10.1 mm, Pusa 30.5 mm, Najafgarh 38.0 mm and Mayur Vihar 26.5 mm. Till 5.30 pm, cumulative rainfall stood at 40.2 mm at Safdarjung, 47.1 mm at Palam, 47.8 mm at Lodhi Road, 66.1 mm at Ridge, 59.8 mm at Ayanagar, 28.7 mm at Rajghat, 75.0 mm at Pusa, 123.5 mm at Najafgarh and 51.0 mm at Mayur Vihar. Delhi's civic bodies received at least 10 complaints of rain-related waterlogging, tree falls and electricity disruptions during the day. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi's Central Control Room received eight complaints between 2 pm and 6 pm, including four related to tree falls and four for waterlogging. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) separately reported two complaints of waterlogging till the afternoon from Malcha Marg Market in Chanakyapuri and Kartavya Bhawan on Janpath, in front of the National Archaeological building. It also received 15 complaints related to power disruptions, of which seven had been resolved, while eight were under process and one had been reopened. Three complaints of tree falls were also reported in the NDMC area. The persistent showers kept temperatures well below normal across the city. Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 30.8 degrees Celsius, 5.8 notches below normal, followed by Palam at 30.0 degrees Celsius, 7.4 notches below normal, Lodhi Road at 30.2 degrees Celsius, 4.8 notches below normal, Ridge at 29.4 degrees Celsius, 6.8 notches below normal, and Ayanagar at 28.3 degrees Celsius, 8.3 notches below normal. Several areas, including Sadar Bazar, Nasirpur, Greater Kailash, Badarpur, Teliwara, Mahavir Bazar, Swarup Nagar and Kushak Road, among others, were waterlogged. Pedestrians were seen wading through knee-high water at some places. The minimum temperature also remained below normal. Safdarjung recorded 25.4 degrees Celsius, 2.5 notches below normal with 100 pc of relative humidity, Palam 23.4 degrees Celsius, 4.8 notches below normal, Lodhi Road 25.2 degrees Celsius, 1.8 notches below normal, Ridge 22.1 degrees Celsius, 4.3 notches below normal, and Ayanagar 24.3 degrees Celsius, 2.4 notches below normal. Mahesh Palawat, vice president (Meteorology and Climate Change), Skymet Weather, said the ongoing spell of rain is due to the seasonal monsoon trough shifting northwards. "The seasonal trough, previously positioned over central India, is gradually shifting northwards to the Himalayan foothills. It will pass through Delhi but is not expected to remain there. The rain is due to the fact that the trough is passing through the national capital. It is currently over southwest Uttar Pradesh and the southern parts of Delhi, so such rains will continue for the next few days," he said. "Once the trough settles along the foothills, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and other Himalayan regions will receive enhanced rainfall. The western end of the trough will lie along the foothills, while the eastern end will extend over eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. These regions will continue to receive rainfall, whereas Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and adjoining northwestern parts are likely to experience a break monsoon phase with comparatively dry weather," Palawat said. The IMD has issued a 'yellow alert' for Thursday and forecast a generally cloudy sky with light to moderate rain. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to settle around 30 degrees Celsius and 23 degrees Celsius, respectively. PTI SGV SGV MNK MNK