Heavy rain soaks Delhi-NCR on Raksha Bandhan, causes waterlogging and flight delays
PTC Web Desk: Delhi-NCR woke up to a rain-soaked Saturday as heavy showers lashed the city on Raksha Bandhan morning, leading to severe waterlogging and traffic disruptions across several areas.
The downpour, which began late Friday night, continued into the morning with the same intensity, flooding multiple underpasses and slowing traffic on major stretches. Key locations such as Panchkuian Marg, Mathura Road, and the road outside Bharat Mandapam were left submerged.
#WATCH | Delhi | Heavy rain causes waterlogging at the Panchkuian Marg pic.twitter.com/nldjJHoqhI — ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2025
Flight operations also felt the impact, with data from flight-tracking service Flightradar showing around 90 delays and four cancellations earlier in the day. Departures saw an average delay of 15 minutes, while arrivals were delayed by about five minutes. However, the Delhi airport later issued an advisory stating that operations had returned to normal, urging passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the entire Delhi region, predicting heavy rain and thunderstorms through the day. The showers brought much-needed relief from the heat and humidity, but also sparked long traffic jams, with bottlenecks reported on National Highway-44, the Sarai Kale Khan intersection, and stretches near the Haryana border.
Airlines, including IndiGo, advised passengers to allow extra travel time and consider alternate routes to the airport due to roadblocks and waterlogging.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Himachal Pradesh remains under an orange alert in three districts, with moderate to heavy rainfall expected. Since June 20, over 200 rain-related fatalities have been reported in the hill state.
With more showers in the forecast, commuters in Delhi-NCR are being advised to plan their travel carefully to avoid getting stuck in weather-related snarls.
- With inputs from agencies
