Delhi-NCR wakes up to rain; IMD issues red alert for parts of national capital

Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) witnessed widespread rainfall on Thursday morning, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a red alert for several parts of the capital and warn of heavy to very heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning until at least 11 am.

The red alert covers North East Delhi, Central Delhi, South East Delhi, South Delhi, New Delhi and Shahdara, where intense rainfall is expected.

Neighbouring cities, including Ghaziabad and Noida in Uttar Pradesh, as well as Gurugram in Haryana, also received light to moderate showers.

In Gurugram, heavy rain led to waterlogging and severe traffic congestion on key roads, including the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway. Long traffic jams were reported near Narsinghpur, Manesar and Bilaspur.

The IMD has placed Noida and Ghaziabad under an orange alert, forecasting moderate rain with thunderstorms, while Gurugram and Faridabad remain under a yellow alert for light rainfall over the next few hours.

Amid the adverse weather, Gurugram Police advised corporate offices and private establishments to allow employees to work from home wherever feasible to ease traffic congestion and ensure public safety.

The latest spell follows Wednesday’s rain, which caused widespread waterlogging and disrupted traffic across several parts of Delhi. Safdarjung, the city’s base weather station, recorded 15.4 mm of rainfall between 8:30 am and 11:30 am, while Lodhi Road received 26 mm, according to the IMD.

Heavy showers were reported from Vijay Chowk, Jantar Mantar, Kartavya Path, ITO, Mathura Road, Sangam Vihar, C R Park and Lodhi Road. Residents also reported flooded roads and slow-moving traffic in several areas, with many taking to social media to highlight the worsening waterlogging.