Delhi records highest single-day December rainfall in 101 years

Delhi experienced an unprecedented weather event on Saturday, as the city recorded its highest single-day rainfall in December in over a century. With 41.2 mm of rain recorded in just 24 hours, the downpour shattered long-standing records, making it the heaviest rainfall in December since 1923, when 75.7 mm of rain fell on December 3.

The rain, which also affected the surrounding areas of Delhi-NCR, brought the temperature down sharply to 13 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a ‘yellow’ alert for the weekend, forecasting more showers and thunderstorms across the region. As the rain continued, Delhi’s air quality showed a slight improvement, remaining in the ‘moderate’ category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 179. However, some areas like Anand Vihar saw an AQI of 236, falling into the ‘poor’ category.

In addition to the rainfall, Delhi’s streets faced significant disruptions. Waterlogging and traffic congestion were reported in several areas, with a portion of the road in Sector-9, RK Puram, collapsing, causing a motorcycle and car to fall into the pit. Despite these challenges, the rain provided some relief from the ongoing pollution, although the AQI remained high in some parts of the city.

The IMD attributed the heavy rainfall to an active western disturbance interacting with easterly winds, causing light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorms over northwest and central India, including Delhi’s satellite cities of Noida, Gurugram, and Faridabad.