Delhi News: Rain battered Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Friday, marking the city’s highest December rainfall in the last 15 years, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The heavy showers caused the mercury to dip to 14.6°C, with a significant impact on traffic and urban infrastructure. 

The rain, which began early Thursday at around 2:30 am, persisted through Friday. As per IMD data, the city recorded 9.1 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on Friday. The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, reported an additional 30.2 mm of rainfall between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm. This brought the month’s total to 42.8 mm—the highest since 2009. In contrast, the all-time highest December rainfall was recorded in 1884 at 134.4 mm.

VIDEO | Delhi: Rain lashes parts of the national capital. Visuals from Kartavya Path and Rafi Marg.

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/1fp0aixhBu

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 27, 2024

Rainfall measurements at various observatories until 5:30 pm on Friday included 31.4 mm at Palam, 34.2 mm at Lodhi Road, 33.4 mm at Ridge, 39 mm at Delhi University, and 35 mm at Pusa, news agency PTI reported.

For context, Delhi’s December rainfall in 2023 was a trace, and no rainfall was recorded in 2022. The years 2021 and 2020 saw 9.6 mm and 1.6 mm, respectively, while 2019 logged 33.9 mm. 

IMD attributed the rainfall to an active western disturbance interacting with easterly winds, resulting in light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorms across northwest and central India, including Delhi-NCR.

The downpour led to waterlogging and traffic congestion in several areas. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s Central Control Room received 13 complaints, nine for waterlogging and four regarding fallen trees, PTI reported. Meanwhile, the Public Works Department registered one complaint each for waterlogging and a fallen tree. The New Delhi Municipal Council reported no such calls by 7 pm on Friday.

#WATCH | Heavy water logging witnessed in the Burari area as rain continues to lash parts of Delhi. pic.twitter.com/RL2u3V3tiD

— ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2024

The rainfall caused the maximum temperature to plummet to 9.5°C, the lowest in the last five years. In comparison, Thursday’s maximum temperature stood at 24.1°C. 

The IMD highlighted that December’s lowest daytime temperatures in recent years were 15.9°C in 2023, 15.6°C in 2022, 17.8°C in 2021, 15.2°C in 2020, and 14.3°C in 2019.

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Delhi Likely To Witness Rain On Saturday, Air Quality Remains ‘Very Poor’

The weather department has predicted intermittent rain on Saturday, with one or two light spells during the morning. A generally cloudy sky is expected for the remainder of the day. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 15°C and 12°C, respectively. 

Smog or shallow fog is forecast for most areas, with moderate fog expected in isolated places during the morning. Winds from the southeast are expected at speeds below 4 kmph in the morning, increasing to 8 kmph from the northeast in the afternoon before reducing again in the evening.

The city’s air quality remained concerning, with a 24-hour Air Quality Index (AQI) of 353 as of 4 pm, placing it in the “very poor” category. Of the 35 monitoring stations, Nehru Nagar recorded air quality in the “severe” category, while the others reported “very poor” or “poor” readings. An AQI between 301 and 400 indicates “very poor” air quality, while a range of 401 to 500 is classified as “severe.”