Delhi-NCR rains: 15 flight diverted, severe traffic congestion reported as heavy rains hit capital city

Heavy rain lashed several parts of Delhi on Tuesday as the skies darkened, taking many commuters and others by surprise.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued yellow and orange alerts for the national capital. It forecasts moderate rainfall accompanied by light thunderstorms and lightning.

The weather department also said moderate thunderstorms with lightning, hail, and wind speeds ranging between 40–60 kmph are likely over parts of central, southwest, west, northwest and north Delhi.

Visibility reduced

The downpour significantly reduced visibility, resulting in traffic jams and waterlogging in several areas.

At Palam Airport, visibility fell from 6,000 metres at 1.30 pm to 1,200 metres by 5 pm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Many parts of the city appeared gloomy during the day as rain continued to lash the city, brought on by the impact of a western disturbance.

Delhi airport sees 15 flight diversions

As many as 15 flights were diverted at the Delhi airport on Tuesday due to heavy rain in the national capital.

The official said that out of the 15 flights, 8 were diverted to Jaipur, 5 to Lucknow and 2 to Chandigarh.

"There’s a heavy downpour over #Delhi at the moment, causing some temporary disruption to flight schedules. If you’re travelling today, please be aware of potential delays and allow additional time for your journey, especially with traffic moving more slowly than usual.

"We're monitoring the situation closely and will get you airborne as soon as possible," IndiGo said in a post on X at 6.26 pm.

Traffic crawls across city

Tuesday’s heavy rains brought traffic movement to a crawl across several parts of Delhi, leading to long snarls and severe inconvenience for commuters.

Key arterial stretches were choked as waterlogging worsened congestion at multiple points.

Delhiites took to social media platform X to flag the situation and appeal for immediate intervention from traffic authorities.

“There is a huge traffic jam on the Dwarka Expressway from Bamnoli and Chhawla. Kindly take immediate action,” a netizen wrote while tagging the Delhi Traffic Police.

Another commuter complained of “heavy and unprecedented traffic jam at the traffic light near Sadar Metro station on Dwarka Road,” urging officials from Delhi Cantt to “do the needful.”

Flight ops impacted

Earlier in the afternoon, the Indira Gandhi International Airport to issue a warning about possible flight disruptions. “Due to inclement weather conditions in Delhi, flight operations at Delhi Airport are impacted,” the Delhi airport said.

Several airlines operating flights from Delhi Airport have also issued advisories.

IndiGo said in an X post, “With heavy rains and thunderstorms expected again in #Delhi there’s a chance this could lead to air traffic congestion and impact flight operations.”

Air India has also issued a similar warning, saying, “Rain may impact flight operations to and from Delhi today.”

SpiceJet said, “All departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may be affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status.”

Waterlogging reported by citizens

Some social media users have also shared pictures of waterlogging after the rains. Check out one picture right here: