Waterlogged roads, uprooted trees and traffic snarls return to haunt rain-drenched capital

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) The capital witnessed its wettest day of the year so far as persistent showers through Tuesday brought much-needed relief from days of sultry heat, but brought in its wake waterlogged roads, uprooted trees and traffic snarls across the city. The city saw a sharp dip in temperature as the mercury plummeted by almost 10 degrees Celsius. Parts of Delhi received nearly 84 mm rainfall, while widespread showers brought down the "feels like" temperature by almost 22 degrees Celsius, although humidity levels remained extremely high. Safdarjung recorded the steepest drop in temperature -- 10 degrees Celsius -- between 1 pm and 2.30 pm. Chhatarpur recorded a 9.1-degree fall, Najafgarh (8.9 degrees), Janakpuri (8.7 degrees), Jafarpur (8.6 degrees), Narayana (8.4 degrees), Palam and Pusa (8 degrees each), Pitampura (7.6 degrees), Mayur Vihar (7.3 degrees) and Pragati Maidan (6.7 degrees). Heavy traffic congestion was witnessed on several major stretches, including Geeta Colony Road towards Noida, NH-48, Old Rohtak Road and Akshardham Road to Noida. Waterlogging was also reported from several parts of the city following the downpour, with residents sharing visuals from Teliwara's Mahavir Bazar in Sadar Bazar, Geeta Colony, near Tis Hazari Court, Sangam Vihar, Wazirabad, Jagatpur and Badarpur border, among other areas. The rain also led to various mishaps. In one such incident, a large tree was uprooted in the downpour, and fell on a parked Mercedes and another passing vehicle on a busy road in East of Kailash in southeast Delhi. Between 2 pm and 6 pm, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) received two complaints each of waterlogging and tree falls. During the same period, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) recorded four complaints of uprooted trees in the West Zone. The civic body also received two complaints regarding dangerous buildings, one each from Tagore Garden and Jagatpuri. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, Najafgarh recorded the highest rainfall in Delhi, recorded at 84 mm. The Ridge followed with 50.1 mm, Pusa recorded 41.5 mm, Ayanagar 32.6 mm, Mayur Vihar 19 mm, Palam 15.4 mm, Rajghat 14.6 mm, Lodi Road 13.2 mm and Safdarjung 11.9 mm. Mahesh Palawat from Skymet said the continuous rainfall over Delhi was caused by the interaction of a western disturbance over northern Pakistan, an intense low-pressure area over central Madhya Pradesh and moisture-laden monsoon winds from the Arabian Sea. He said rainfall intensity would gradually decrease over the next two days as temperatures rise slightly. Delhi is likely to witness only isolated spells of rain during this period. Palawat said the seasonal trough is currently positioned over central India and is expected to gradually shift northwards around July 12 and settle along the Himalayan foothills after passing through Delhi. "Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and adjoining northwestern parts are likely to experience a break monsoon phase with comparatively dry weather from that time," he said. According to IMD data, the "feels like" temperature rose from 44.7 degrees Celsius at 8.30 am to 47.5 degrees Celsius at 11.30 am before dropping sharply to 32.3 degrees Celsius at 2.30 pm and further to 25.6 degrees Celsius by 5.30 pm following thunderstorm activity. Humidity levels stood at 79 per cent at 8.30 am and dropped to 60 per cent by 11.30 am before rising to 100 per cent at 2.30 pm. The humidity remained at 100 per cent at 5.30 pm following widespread rainfall across the city. The strongest winds, reaching 41 kmph, were recorded at Palam and Pusa, followed by 39 kmph at Jafarpur, 35 kmph at Pragati Maidan, 33 kmph at Mayur Vihar, 31 kmph each at Narayana and Chhatarpur, and 19 kmph at Safdarjung. The maximum temperature settled at 37.2 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung, 0.6 notches above normal, while Palam recorded 37.6 degrees Celsius, 0.2 notches above normal. Lodi Road registered a maximum temperature of 37 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal. The Ridge recorded 36.1 degrees Celsius, 0.1 notch below normal, while Ayanagar logged 36.3 degrees Celsius, 0.3 notch below normal. The minimum temperature settled at 30 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung, 2.1 notches above normal. Palam recorded 28.3 degrees Celsius, 0.1 notch above normal, while Lodi Road registered 30.4 degrees Celsius, 3.4 notches above normal. The Ridge recorded a minimum of 24.9 degrees Celsius, 1.5 notches below normal, while Ayanagar logged 28.6 degrees Celsius, 1.9 notches above normal. The minimum temperature was the highest recorded in July since July 2, 2024, when the city had recorded a minimum of 30.7 degrees Celsius. The IMD has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by rain on Wednesday and issued an alert for the capital. The minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to settle around 26 degrees Celsius and 33 degrees Celsius, respectively. Despite widespread showers, Delhi's air quality remained in the "moderate" category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 113, according to CPCB. According to the CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe". PTI SGV ARB ARB