New Delhi: Delhi and the surrounding NCR areas are set to receive more rainfall on Thursday, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued yellow and orange alerts across the region.
Persistent showers over the past few days have caused the Yamuna River to rise above the 207-metre mark for the fifth time since 1963. On Wednesday, floodwaters entered Nigambodh Ghat, Delhi’s oldest and busiest cremation ground, forcing a temporary halt to cremation services.
The IMD’s nowcast warnings place Delhi, Noida, and Ghaziabad under a yellow alert, indicating light rain and thunderstorms. Meanwhile, Gurugram is under an orange alert, signalling the likelihood of moderate rainfall.
The capital is expected to experience thunderstorms accompanied by rain, with the minimum temperature forecast at 24 degrees Celsius and the maximum likely to reach 33 degrees Celsius, according to the weather department.
The IMD bulletin also predicts isolated heavy showers in Haryana and Chandigarh on 4 September.
Air travel has so far remained unaffected, with no official notice from Delhi airport. However, SpiceJet issued an advisory for travellers, stating, “Due to bad weather in Delhi (DEL), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may be affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status.”
On Wednesday, Delhi recorded its third consecutive day of intermittent rain, pushing this year’s monsoon total past 1,000 mm, well above the city’s annual average of 774 mm, which had already been exceeded in August.
As of 11 PM Wednesday, the Yamuna was flowing at 207.44 metres, roughly 1.5 metres above the evacuation mark and nearing the 207.49-metre level reached during the 1978 floods.