New Delhi: New Delhi experienced its first widespread monsoon showers on Sunday, as the southwest monsoon progressed over the national capital, arriving two days after the usual onset date of June 27. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also confirmed that the monsoon has now covered the entire country, nine days ahead of the normal schedule of July 8.
“The Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of Rajasthan, west Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana, and has covered the entire Delhi region on June 29. Thus, the monsoon has now covered the entire country,” the IMD said in a statement.
By 5:30 pm on Sunday, Delhi had recorded moderate rainfall across various weather stations. According to IMD data, Safdarjung observatory noted 4.8 mm,
Lodhi Road received 5.3 mm, Palam recorded 10.2 mm,
and Aya Nagar registered 9.9 mm of rainfall. The skies remained mostly overcast with intermittent showers throughout the day.
As showers drenched the city, waterlogging led to traffic snarls at several busy intersections. A Delhi Traffic Police official reported, “Traffic was affected near India Gate, ITO, Peeragarhi Chowk, Old Rohtak Road, Shankar Road, Sarai Rohilla Railway Station, and Madhuban Chowk. Additional personnel have been deployed to ease the congestion.”
Another official noted that key corridors in South, Southeast, and Southwest Delhi, including the Delhi-Gurugram highway, experienced delays due to accumulated water and increased vehicular movement.
The Public Works Department (PWD) responded to a series of waterlogging complaints. “We received about 10 to 12 complaints from various locations under our jurisdiction. Most of them were addressed promptly, and there were no major disruptions to traffic after the response teams intervened,” a PWD representative stated.
In contrast, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area witnessed fewer issues. An NDMC official said, “Only two minor waterlogging complaints were received, and no reports of tree falls or serious damage were logged in Lutyens’ Delhi.”
The IMD issued a yellow alert for the day, which was later upgraded to an orange alert, indicating the need for preparedness due to potential weather disruptions.The onset of monsoon has brought some relief from the heat, with the maximum temperature dropping to 32.8 degrees Celsius—4.4 degrees below the seasonal average. Monday’s forecast predicts a generally cloudy sky with light to moderate rainfall, and temperatures likely to hover around 32°C during the day and 26°C at night.
In a notable improvement, Delhi’s air quality also showed signs of relief. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded the city’s average 24-hour Air Quality Index (AQI) at 83, falling within the ‘satisfactory’ range. A CPCB official said, “The rain has helped bring down the pollution levels significantly.”