Delhi gets heaviest July rainfall in 14 years; 9 dead and schools shut as roads remain submerged

Delhi rain update: Delhi experienced its heaviest single-day July rainfall in 14 years, with 108 mm recorded over the past 24 hours. The national capital's primary weather station, Safdarjung, noted this downpour from Wednesday to Thursday, resulting in nine deaths, extensive road flooding, and significant traffic disruptions.

Mahesh Palawat, vice-president of the Meteorology and Climate Change at Skymet, highlighted on X that the previous highest 24-hour rainfall in July was on July 2, 1961. On Wednesday evening alone, Safdarjung recorded 79.2 mm of rain between 5.30 pm and 8.30 pm. Other areas reported varying rainfall amounts: Mayur Vihar received 119 mm, Pusa 66.5 mm, Delhi University 77.5 mm, and the Palam observatory 43.7 mm.

The maximum temperature in Delhi on Wednesday was recorded at 37.8 degrees Celsius. Online visuals showed severe traffic congestion across Delhi and the NCR, with citizens stranded for hours. Many vehicles were almost entirely submerged, and people were seen wading through waterlogged streets.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted ongoing heavy rainfall for Delhi and neighbouring states, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir, for the next five days. Delhi-NCR is expected to receive very heavy rainfall on Thursday.

Due to the severe weather, Delhi schools are closed today as per of an announcement made by Education Minister Atishi on X. The IMD has also placed Delhi on its "areas of concern" list in the National Flash Flood Guidance Bulletin, advising residents to stay indoors, secure their homes, and avoid unnecessary travel.