City sees heaviest rain this monsoon season

■ Delhi is jammed, govt is responsible for it: Opposition

Delhi on Thursday witnessed the heaviest spell of rains this monsoon season which inundated low-lying areas and threw traffic out of gear.

According to the India Meteorological department (IMD), the Ayanagar weather station recorded 106.9 mm rainfall, the maximum in the city, since Wednesday morning.

The Palam and Ridge weather stations gauged 99.9 mm and 98.2 mm precipitation respectively during the period.

The Safdarjung observatory, which provides representative figures for the city, recorded 83.8 mm rainfall since Wednesday morning, according to the IMD.

Rainfall recorded below 15 mm is considered light, between 15 and 64.5 mm is moderate and above 64.5 mm is heavy.

The mercury slumped to 28.9 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal.

Vehicles moved bumper to bumper during the morning rush hours as the downpour led to heavy waterlogging at key road stretches.

The Delhi Traffic Police reported an incident of a tree being uprooted near the high court, which led to traffic snarls. Raja Garden and Mayapuri flyovers also witnessed heavy waterlogging.

The incessant rains damaged a drain near Khaira village T-point on Dhansa road where metro construction work is going on, the traffic police said.

The affected 200-metre stretch of the road has been closed for traffic.

Civic bodies reported 21 incidents of trees being

uprooted and one incident of wall collapse due to the rains. There were no injuries.

Pictures and videos of vehicles and people wading through waist-deep water were widely shared on social media.

The downpour also brought down the rain

deficiency in the national capital. Till Wednesday evening, the Safdarjung Observatory had recorded 72 per cent less rainfall than normal in August, the lowest in 10 years, according to the IMD.

The shortage reduced to 14 percent by Thursday morning. Overall, Delhi has recorded 7 per cent more rains in the monsoon season so far.

Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD’s regional forecasting centre, said the city witnessed “continuous rains overnight” and more rainfall is expected during the day.