Delhi records highest one-day rain for August in at least 13 years, IMD issues orange alert

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday said Delhi recorded 139 mm rainfall, the highest one-day rain for August in at least 13 years, and issued ‘orange alert’ for the city.

Officials said heavy rains lashed parts of the national capital that brought the mercury down and provided relief to Delhiites.

The Safdarjung Observatory, considered the official marker for Delhi, recorded 139 mm rainfall, while the Ridge Station registered 149.2 mm rainfall from 8.30 am on Friday to 8.30 am on Saturday, they said.

This is the highest one-day rain for the month of the August in at least 13 years, they said.

The all-time highest rainfall was 184 mm on August 2, 1961, they added.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 23.8 degrees Celsius, three notches below the season’s average, they said.

The relative humidity was recorded at 100 per cent.

The weatherman has forecast generally cloudy sky with moderate rain during the day. The maximum temperature will settle around 30 degrees Celsius.

The IMD has issued an ‘orange alert’ for Saturday and yellow alert for Sunday.

The IMD uses four colour codes: Green means all is well; yellow indicates severely bad weather. It also suggests that the weather could change for the worse, causing disruption in day-to-day activities.

Orange alert is issued as a warning for extremely bad weather with the potential of disruption in commute with road and drain closures and interruption of power supply. Red is when extremely bad weather conditions are certainly going to disrupt travel and power and have significant risk to life.

Rains caused waterlogging in many parts of the city, including underneath Minto Bridge, Moolchand underpass and at the ITO.

Due to the waterlogging, the Delhi Traffic Police closed several crucial underpasses and took to Twitter to inform commuters.

“Traffic movement on Minto Bridge (both carriageways) has been closed due to waterlogging,” the traffic police said in a tweet.

Police have placed barricades on both sides of the underpass.

“Traffic is affected at Moolchand Underpass due to waterlogging. Inconvenience is regretted. Waterlogging at Pul Prahladpur Underpass. Traffic Interrupted at MB road diverted on Mathura road.

“Traffic will be heavy due to water logging at Kashmere Gate Metro Station Gate No. 3 and Khyber Pass,” it said in a series of tweets.

Delhi’s air quality was in the ‘satisfactory’ category on Saturday morning. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed the air quality index (AQI) at 67.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.