Several houses collapsed in parts of Delhi and one person was reported trapped in Chandni Chowk's Sadar Bazar after the national capital saw heavy rain on Wednesday evening. With the weather office saying that clouds have converged over the city "from all four sectors", at least 10 flights headed to Delhi, including one from Tokyo, were diverted, and vehicles were also stuck on flooded roads in some areas.
The Delhi government has announced that all schools will remain shut on Thursday
"In light of very heavy rainfall today evening and forecast of heavy rainfall tomorrow, all schools - government and private - will remain closed tomorrow," Education Minister Atishi said in a post on X.
Waterlogging was reported in several places, bringing back haunting memories of the flooded basement at a coaching centre in Rajinder Nagar on Saturday in which three students were killed. The road on which the coaching centre is located has been flooded again and visuals from the area show people wading through waist-deep water.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena said he has asked all officers to remain alert and address issues in sites prone to waterlogging, including areas where coaching centres are located.
“Have cautioned all officers to remain alert in light of the ongoing heavy downpour in Delhi. Apart from ensuring minimum inconvenience to people in general, they are advised to specifically address issues at sites prone to waterlogging, including coaching centres,” Mr Saxena said in a social media post.
Among the places that have seen heavy waterlogging along with long traffic jams are the Income Tax Office (ITO) junction, Connaught Place, Minto Road and the Moti Bagh flyover. The pass under the Minto Bridge is among several underpasses that have been shut and videos from Chandni Chowk showed shopkeepers' wares floating in the water that has been accumulated in the area. Reports of trees falling have also come in from several parts of the capital.
The India Meteorological Office posted on X around 7 pm on Wednesday that Delhi would witness light to moderate rainfall with isolated intense to very intense spells for two hours.
“Clouds have converged over Delhi from all 4 sectors. Widespread Light/Moderate Rainfall with isolated Intense to very intense Spell (3-5cm/hr) likely over Delhi during next 2 hours,” the weather office's handle said.
Mayur Vihar in East Delhi saw 119 mm of rain between 8.30 am and 8.30 pm on Wednesday while 118 mm of rain was recorded by the National Center For Medium Range Weather Forecasting in Noida.
Several airlines, including Air India, Vistara, IndiGo and SpiceJet, have issued advisories about flights being diverted or asking passengers to leave early and check the status of their flights. An Air India flight from Tokyo to Delhi was diverted to Jaipur.
"The rain gods have decided to shower #Delhi with their blessings tonight. As a result, we're expecting heavy rainfall throughout the night. Check your flight status here https://bit.ly/3DNYJqj ," IndiGo posted on X.
Vistara said flight UK998 from Pune to Delhi had been diverted to Lucknow while Air India advised its guests to start early for the airport.
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