Heavy Rain Batters Delhi-NCR, Triggers Waterlogging; Traffic Hit

August 24, 2026

New Delhi: Heavy rain lashed several parts of Delhi-NCR on Monday, affecting traffic and slowing vehicular movement across multiple areas of the National Capital Region.

Intense showers were reported in parts of South Delhi and adjoining areas. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for some districts and warned of more heavy rainfall during the day.

Red alert for several Delhi districts

According to the IMD, isolated places in South East Delhi, East Delhi, Shahdara, Central Delhi, North East Delhi, South Delhi, New Delhi, South West Delhi, West Delhi, North West Delhi and North Delhi are likely to receive heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and winds gusting at 30-40 kmph.

The weather agency also forecast moderate rainfall, thunderstorms and lightning at many places across Central Delhi, South Delhi, South West Delhi, West Delhi, North West Delhi and North Delhi.

The heavy downpour has raised the possibility of waterlogging in low-lying areas and further traffic disruptions.

Heavy rain warning across several states

Beyond Delhi, weather warnings have been issued for several parts of the country.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms are likely in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra and several northeastern states.

Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are among the states facing particularly severe weather conditions, with several districts warned of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall is also expected in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.

People have been advised to remain cautious and avoid open spaces during thunderstorms due to the risk of lightning strikes.

Delhi air quality remains poor

Despite the rain, air quality in several parts of Delhi remained in the poor category.

The recorded AQI values included 122 at Mundka, 108 at Sirifort, 91 at Commonwealth Sports Complex, 128 at Punjabi Bagh, 94 at Narela, 139 at Jahangirpuri, 114 at R K Puram, 102 at North Campus, DU, 107 at Sonia Vihar, 174 at Dwarka Sector 8, 121 at Chandni Chowk and 263 at Anand Vihar.