Orange alert in Delhi-NCR: Heavy rains trigger flood warning, hours-long traffic jams in Gurugram due to waterlogging

Delhi-NCR was lashed with heavy rains on Monday (Sep 1). While the downpours, accompanied by gusty winds, brought respite from the heat, it has resulted in waterlogging in several areas and triggered flood alerts in the region. The incessant rainfall has caused inconvenience to the residents, as the slow-moving traffic on the flooded streets has led to hours-long traffic jams in many parts of Delhi and NCR, especially Gurugram. Meanwhile, a flood alert has been issued in the Yamuna floodplains as the water level breached its danger mark.

Waterlogging results in traffic disruptions

Flood-like situation in many low-lying areas in Delhi NCR has caused inconvenience for residents as traffic moved sluggishly on streets, leading to hours-long traffic jams.

The severe weather conditions also resulted in disruptions in flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday (Sep 1) as multiple flights were delayed or cancelled. As a result, several airlines, including IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet, issued travel advisories for passengers, urging them to plan their commute in advance and check the flight status before heading to the airport.

Flood alert issued

The Yamuna River in the national capital has breached the danger mark following above-normal rainfall. Heavy downpours have resulted in a flood-like situation in the Yamuna floodplain, prompting authorities to advise people to vacate the region as the water level is expected to reach the evacuation mark of 206 metres by Tuesday evening. The Old Railway Bridge will also be closed from Tuesday (Sep 2).

IMD forecast

The India Meteorological Department issued an orange alert across Delhi until Monday evening due to heavy rains. A similar alert was issued in Noida, Faridabad and Gurugram, while a yellow warning was issued for Ghaziabad.

According to the India Meteorological Department, Northern India is expected to witness heavy rain until at least September 5. The weather department has issued red and orange alerts for several districts across Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab.