Delhi heavy rain disrupts flights: 15 diverted as IMD issues red alert, traffic crawls across NCR
PTC Web Desk: Heavy rain and thunderstorms lashed Delhi-NCR on Monday, disrupting flight operations at the Delhi airport and causing traffic problems across several parts of the national capital and neighbouring areas.
Nowcast-1
Scattered heavy rains with loud lightning strikes, gusty winds upto 25km/h will occur in parts of #Ghaziabad, #EastDelhi, #Noida, #Gurgaon, #Delhi, #SouthDelhi and nearby areas during next 2 hours.
The weather will remain humid and hot after the spells ends and there… pic.twitter.com/M5YdG8uR1g — IndiaMetSky Weather (@indiametsky) August 24, 2026
As many as 15 flights were diverted from the elhi airport, including three international services. Of the diverted flights, 12 were sent to Jaipur, two to Chandigarh and one to Lucknow. The disruption also affected arrivals, departures and connecting flights.
The weather turned particularly intense in parts of South Delhi and nearby areas, with heavy showers accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds.
#TravelAdvisory
Adverse weather conditions may impact flight operations to and from Delhi today.
To ensure a smooth travel experience, we encourage our passengers to check the latest flight status at the following link before heading to the airport: https://t.co/5vemTROi62… — Air India (@airindia) August 24, 2026
Travel Advisory
Bad weather over #Delhi has impacted flight schedules. We are closely monitoring the weather and doing our best to get you where you need to be, safely and smoothly.
If you're travelling today, we recommend checking your flight status on our website via… — IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) August 24, 2026
#WeatherUpdate: Due to bad weather in Delhi (DEL), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights might be affected. Passengers are requested to check their flight status via https://t.co/ZsAAnbsXYR. — SpiceJet (@flyspicejet) August 24, 2026
#TravelUpdate: Due to severe weather conditions in Delhi certain flights across our network have been impacted. We realize that this may inconvenience your travel plans and seek your patience and understanding. While this situation is completely beyond our control, please rest… — Akasa Air (@AkasaAir) August 24, 2026
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for heavy rainfall in several districts of Delhi, along with a yellow alert for moderate rain in other areas.
The weather office warned that heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning and winds of around 30-40 kmph could occur at isolated locations across several parts of the city. Areas mentioned in the warning included 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.
Moderate rain with thunderstorms, lightning and similar wind speeds was also expected at many places in parts of Central Delhi, South Delhi, South West Delhi, West Delhi, North West Delhi and North Delhi.
The adverse weather prompted airlines to issue travel advisories.
Air India warned passengers that weather conditions could affect flights to and from Delhi. IndiGo also said bad weather had affected its flight schedules and that it was monitoring the situation.
SpiceJet cautioned that Delhi's weather could affect departures, arrivals and consequential flights across its network. Akasa Air also said severe weather had affected some flights and advised passengers to expect possible disruption.
Passengers were urged to check their latest flight status before leaving for the airport.
The rain was not limited to flight disruptions. Several areas of Delhi-NCR reported waterlogging and traffic congestion following the downpour.
Residents took to social media to share updates about flooded roads and slow-moving traffic. In Ghaziabad, heavy rain brought some relief from the heat and humidity, but commuters faced significant inconvenience as traffic slowed on several major roads.
People travelling between Delhi and Noida were particularly affected. Several office-goers reported that their usual journey took almost twice as long, with some commuters spending one to one-and-a-half hours reaching their workplaces.
The weather system affected several parts of the wider NCR. Scattered spells of heavy rain, lightning and gusty winds were reported or forecast across Ghaziabad, East Delhi, Noida, Gurugram and South Delhi, along with nearby areas.
The weather is expected to remain hot and humid after the rain eases, while scattered spells of rainfall could continue over the next two days.
- With inputs from agencies
