Heavy rain and thunderstorms flood Delhi NCR, prompting traffic snarls

Early Monday morning, Delhi and its surrounding cities experienced intense rain and thunderstorms, prompting the India Meteorological Department to issue a red alert for the capital region. The warning, released at 3 a.m., forecast rainfall exceeding 15 mm per hour and wind speeds between 62 and 87 km/h. Flooding was reported near Jhandewalan Temple in central Delhi's Karol Bagh area, and similar conditions affected Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad.

Officials cautioned that the heavy downpour could aggravate traffic congestion during the morning commute, especially at known choke points, and warned of a higher likelihood of vehicle accidents. The IMD advised commuters to monitor traffic updates and avoid routes prone to water accumulation. Despite the early storm, forecasts predict partly cloudy skies and no further rain for the next six days, with temperatures ranging from 31 °C to 35 °C.