IMD issues yellow alert for Delhi-NCR; Red alert for Uttarakhand, Char Dham Yatra postponed

New Delhi: Moderate to heavy rain lashed several parts of Delhi and its adjoining areas in the early hours on Monday, leading to a drop in the temperature to 21 degree Celsius, according to India Meteorological Department.

The department has issued "yellow alert" in the national capital and predicted thunderstorm with moderate rainfall in Delhi and it's adjoining areas.

"Thunderstorm with moderate intensity rain with heavy intensity rain over isolated places would continue to occur over and adjoining areas of entire Delhi, Gurugram, Gohana, Gannaur, Hodal, Aurangabad, Palwal, Faridabad, Ballabhgarh, Panipat, Sohana," IMD predicted in its morning bulletin.

In past 24 hours, Delhi has received 3 mm rainfall and the relative humidity is 90 per cent, the IMD said.

Due to overnight heavy spell of rainfall, several parts of Delhi has witnessed waterlogging, causing slow-traffic movement.

Meanwhile, Delhi traffic police has issued advisory to the people to avoid certain roads due to reports of waterlogging in several parts of the city.

"Due to water logging at Pulprahladpur underpass MB road is closed. Road users may take alternate routes going towards Mehrauli Mathura road underpass Sarita Vihar flyover or Modi Mill flyover and vice versa towards Badarpur," the police tweeted.

Meanwhile, the IMD has issued “red alert" for heavy rain in Uttarakhand on Monday and “orange alert" till Tuesday. It has also predicted isolated extremely heavy rainfall in the state on Monday.

"Thunderstorm and heavy rainfall activity in Uttarakhand, West UP and Haryana on October 17 and 18 as a result of WD interaction with low level easterlies," said IMD.

Keeping in view of the alert issued, the administrations have announced the closure of educational institutions, including schools, colleges and anganwadi centres in some districts.

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has requested devotees going for Char Dham Yatra to postpone yatra by one-two days in wake of heavy rain alert in the state.

He also urged the police, State Disaster Response Force and other concerned personnel to be on alert.

Besides Delhi and Uttarakhand, moderate to heavy rain has been predicted for almost all adjoining areas in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

IMD said, "Cloud drifting towards west UP and southeast Haryana from the low-pressure area over Telangana begins from today afternoon."

The IMD attributed the western disturbance and formation of two low pressure, one is over the Bay of Bengal and another over the Arabian Sea, for the current spell of rainfall activities in the country that will continue till October 21. (UNI)