The southwest monsoon has finally covered the entire country after entering the Kerala coast on June 4. The monsoon completed its nationwide coverage on July 9, taking 35 days to spread across India. After days of intense rainfall in Mumbai, Pune and nearby districts, heavy showers have now battered Delhi-NCR, causing widespread waterlogging, traffic disruptions and severe inconvenience for residents.
Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and surrounding areas witnessed heavy rainfall, leaving several roads submerged. Water accumulated up to knee level at multiple locations, severely affecting traffic movement across the National Capital Region. Office commuters faced major difficulties, with many reaching workplaces soaked due to the heavy downpour. Parents also struggled to take children to schools during the morning rush hours.
According to the latest update from the India Meteorological Department, rainfall activity is expected to continue in Delhi-NCR, with no immediate relief expected for residents. The weather department stated that rainfall between June 1 and July 1, 2026, remained 38 percent below average across the country. However, after the monsoon gained momentum during the past week, the rainfall deficit has reduced to 23 percent.
The monsoon regained strength at a time when concerns were rising over the possible impact of El Nino during the southwest monsoon season.
Former Director General of the India Meteorological Department and renowned meteorologist K.J. Ramesh told NDTV that the impact of El Nino does not necessarily affect the entire monsoon season. He said that El Nino did not influence the current active phase of the monsoon because warming conditions continue in both the Arabian Sea and the Equatorial Indian Ocean.
Ramesh further explained that these conditions have resulted in increased evaporation, bringing higher moisture flow towards India. During the last ten days, a Mid-Tropospheric Cyclone developed due to a Western Disturbance. At the same time, a low-pressure system formed over the Bay of Bengal. Both systems continued to support each other, resulting in strong rainfall from Gujarat and Goa to Maharashtra and Odisha.
Several parts of Delhi recorded intense rainfall during the past 24 hours. The India Meteorological Department recorded 160 millimetres of rainfall in Tikampur and Khajuri areas of Northeast Delhi. Other rainfall figures included 73 millimetres at Safdarjung, 63 millimetres at Palam, 80 millimetres at Lodhi Road, 78 millimetres at Ridge, 90 millimetres at Delhi University, 57 millimetres at Ayanagar, 86 millimetres at Mehrauli, 72 millimetres at Chhatarpur, 103 millimetres at Mayur Vihar, 83 millimetres at Pusa, 83 millimetres at Lodhi Road Automatic Weather Station, 50 millimetres at Pragati Maidan, 63 millimetres at Naraina and 62 millimetres at Janakpuri.
The weather department warned that several parts of Delhi could witness heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms in the coming hours, while other areas may receive light to moderate rainfall with thunder activity. Wind speeds are expected to reach up to 40 kilometres per hour during this period.
Heavy rainfall caused waterlogging in several areas including Sadar Bazaar, Nasirpur, Greater Kailash, Badarpur, Teliwara, Mahavir Bazaar, Swaroop Nagar and Kushak Road. In some locations, pedestrians were forced to walk through knee-deep water.
The past few days have witnessed record rainfall in several states across the country. According to the India Meteorological Department, the highest rainfall in Delhi-NCR during the last 24 hours was recorded in Ghaziabad’s Kamla Nehru area, which received 164 millimetres of rainfall.
Traffic movement was severely affected on Rohtak Road, where long vehicle queues were witnessed. Traffic between Punjabi Bagh and Shadipur remained almost halted for several hours. The situation worsened when several two-wheeler riders took shelter under the elevated metro corridor to escape the rain, leading to further congestion.
Traffic disruption was also reported at the ITO intersection. Commuters faced delays on Ring Road, Outer Ring Road and National Highway 48, especially near Dhaula Kuan, Mahipalpur and Rajokari due to poor visibility and waterlogging.
Several other major routes, including Mathura Road near Ashram, Delhi-Gurugram Expressway, Zakhira Flyover, Moti Nagar, Patel Nagar, Naraina, AIIMS, South Extension, Lajpat Nagar, Moolchand, Azadpur, Mukarba Chowk and parts of the Delhi-Noida Link Road, also witnessed disrupted traffic movement.
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Noida also faced severe waterlogging at multiple locations. The main road connecting Sector 57 and Sector 58 was heavily affected, with several feet of water accumulation bringing vehicle movement to a standstill and causing long traffic jams. Two-wheeler riders faced the maximum difficulties, with several vehicles stopping due to water exposure. Pedestrians were forced to cross dirty and foul-smelling waterlogged roads.
The situation was not limited to Sector 57 and Sector 58. Roads in Sector 27 were also completely submerged. Overflowing sewer lines and drains spread contaminated water across the streets, creating unhygienic conditions and foul odour in the area. A private school near Sector 27 Cut also witnessed waterlogging, causing difficulties for students and parents.
With the monsoon now covering the entire country and rainfall intensity increasing across major urban centres, the latest spell of heavy showers has highlighted the challenges faced by metropolitan regions in managing drainage, traffic movement and public mobility during extreme weather conditions.
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