Heavy rains paralyse Delhi, cancel 26 flights and snarl traffic across NCR

Delhi Airport operations took a severe hit on Monday with 380 flights delayed and 26 cancelled as heavy rains lashed the capital and surrounding regions through the morning hours.

Flight Operations Disrupted

Major carriers including SpiceJet, Air India, and IndiGo issued advisories warning passengers that bad weather could affect subsequent flights as well, urging travellers to check their flight status before leaving home. The disruptions came as the India Meteorological Department issued a red alert for heavy rain in several areas and a yellow alert for moderate rainfall across Delhi-NCR.

Severe Waterlogging Paralyses Roads

The brief but intense downpour brought the national capital region to a standstill within hours, with widespread waterlogging and traffic snarls affecting commuters across Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram.

MB Road near Sangam Vihar witnessed massive traffic jams, while vehicles crawled between Vasant Kunj and Sangam Vihar with commuters stuck for nearly an hour. The gridlock impacted those heading to Delhi Airport, offices, and Saket Court.

In Noida, National Highway 9 near the Hindan river at Chhijarsi Cut saw heavy congestion during the rainfall. Gurugram faced particularly acute problems, with two to three feet of water accumulating on roads after just a short spell of rain, completely paralyzing traffic movement.

Multi-kilometre queues of vehicles formed on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway, Sohna Road, Old Delhi Road, and Railway Road. Motorists remained trapped for about an hour near the Rajiv Chowk underpass and flyover.

Weather Warnings Continue

The Met Department forecast light to moderate rain across Delhi-NCR for the next two hours, with thunderstorms, lightning, and winds blowing at 30-40 kilometres per hour expected. The weather warning extended to entire Delhi and NCR, along with Jhajjar, Farukhabad, Sohana, Rewari, Palwal, Bawal, Nuh, Aurangabad in Haryana, and Bhiwadi, Tijara, Khairtal, Kotputli, and Alwar in Rajasthan, where light to moderate rain with thunderstorms and lightning could persist.