Delhi Rain Triggers Flight Diversions to Jaipur and Waterlogging as Orange Alert Issued
Light to moderate rainfall across Delhi on Sunday caused widespread waterlogging, traffic snarls, and the diversion of 12 flights to Jaipur, with Chhatarpur recording the highest precipitation of 48.5 mm. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Monday, forecasting moderate to heavy showers in isolated areas alongside an expected drop in temperature.
The intense downpour in several areas led to immediate civic disruptions, including waterlogging on key roads and subsequent traffic delays across the capital.
Flight operations at Delhi's airport were heavily impacted by the weather conditions on Sunday. A total of 12 Delhi-bound flights, including four international services, had to be diverted to Jaipur.
The diverted international flights included Thai Airways TG323 from Bangkok, IndiGo 6E064 from Jeddah, Air Astana KC907 from Almaty, and Air India AI4308 from Dubai.
Domestic air travel was also affected, with several flights unable to land in Delhi. These included domestic Air India flights originating from Kolkata, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Pune, and Mumbai. Additionally, IndiGo flights from Bengaluru and Ahmedabad were among those diverted to Jaipur.
Rainfall distribution varied significantly across different neighbourhoods in the city. Between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm on Sunday, the Safdarjung base station logged 6.4 mm of rainfall, which the IMD classifies as light rain.
Meanwhile, Chhatarpur recorded the highest precipitation in the city at 48.5 mm. Other local weather stations registered 16.4 mm of rain in Palam, 10.2 mm at the Ridge, 8.2 mm in Ayanagar, and 7 mm in Janakpuri.
According to the IMD, rainfall is classified as light when it is up to 15.5 mm. It is considered moderate when rainfall ranges from 15.6 mm to 64.4 mm, and heavy when it exceeds 64.4 mm in a 24-hour period.
The southwest monsoon officially arrived in Delhi on Thursday, shortly after its normal onset date of June 27.
