August rainfall goes into excess as traffic turns chaotic

new delhi: As August's rainfall went into the excess range for the month every season with incessant rains from early on Thursday morning, traffic in the Capital was chaotic with major roads and arterial streets clogged either due to waterlogging, fallen trees or potholes. In fact, the Delhi Traffic Police noted that traffic was especially chaotic in border areas after two consecutive days of heavy showers.

The Ayanagar weather station recorded 122.8 mm rainfall between 8.30 am on Wednesday and 8.30 am on Thursday, which was 11 times the normal rainfall. On average, the city gauges 11.3 mm rainfall from 8.30 am on August 19 to 8.30 am on August 20 every year. The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative figures for the city, recorded 54.8 mm rainfall. The Palam, Lodhi Road and Ridge weather stations gauged 89.1 mm, 62.4 and 77.3 mm precipitation during the period.

A few weeks ago, the Indian Meteorological Department had said this season's August rainfall was showing a more than 70 per cent deficit. But three spells of heavy showers spread out in the week since, the deficit has now been converted to a 15 per cent excess rainfall for the month.

Overall, the Safdarjung Observatory has recorded 520.8 mm rainfall, 15 per cent more than the normal of 452.6 mm since June 1 when the monsoon season starts.

Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the India Meteorological Department's regional forecasting centre, said moderate rains will continue till Friday morning. Thereafter, the intensity will decrease and the city will witness on and off light rains.

Another spell of moderate rain will begin from August 25, Srivastava said.

The Safdarjung Observatory has recorded 202.2 mm rainfall against the normal of 176.5 mm in August so far -- 15 per cent excess rainfall.

In Delhi, waterlogging and fallen trees choked the streets in Kalkaji, Bulward Road, Dakshinpuri, MB Road, Narela-Bawana Road, RK Puram, Vedant Dikha Marg, DLF gate number 1, Rohini Sector 13, Aruna Asif Ali Road, Delhi Sachivalya flyover, SDM Office Mehrauli, Qutub Minar Metro Station (Anuvrat Marg), Jhilmil Under Pass (Surajmal Vihar), Okhla Mandi, Jhandewalan Road, WHO Building (Ring Road), Barafkhana Chauk and other key areas.

The Delhi Traffic Police posted alerts on Twitter to inform commuters about waterlogged roads. "MB Road traffic movement closed from Mathura Road, due to waterlogging under Pul Prahladpur. Obstruction in traffic in the carriageway from Satyam towards Kasturba Underpass, Maharaja Surajmal Marg due to waterlogging at Jhilmil," the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted. Traffic on Ring Road-Bhairon Road was affected due to potholes and traffic going from Ring Road towards Bhairon Road was affected due to the bottle-neck route, it said.

Traffic was also affected as trees fell down in many places in the city. "Traffic movement has been closed on Rajpur Road from both side due to a tree fallen near P.S. Civil Line. Kindly take alternate route," said Delhi Police.