Rain, strong winds hit Delhi, road traffic impacted; IMD predicts more downpour

New Delhi: Rain and gusty winds lashed Delhi and the National Capital Region on Saturday morning lowering temperature to 19.3 degrees Celsius, seven notches below the season's average, the weather department said.

Uprooted trees and waterlogging led to traffic snarls in several parts of the city, including at the Vasant Vihar-Delhi airport road stretch, the Kanshiram Takkar Marg and the Mahipalpur highway underpass.

Thunderstorm and more downpour have been predicted during the day by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 32 degrees Celsius.

The department said a cluster of cloud patches is passing over Delhi-NCR. Under its influence, thunderstorm or dust storm with light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds with 40-70 kmph speed would continue in Delhi-NCR and its adjoining areas during the next two hours, the IMD said in a report around 6.30 am.

The relative humidity was recorded 100 per cent at 8.30 am.

Delhi's air quality index (aQI) was recorded in the "moderate" category with a reading of 110 at 9 am, Central Pollution Control Board data showed.

an AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

Commuters took to Twitter to complain about traffic jams.

Major jam building on flyover from Vasant Vihar to airport, a person posted on the social media platform, while another reported heavy traffic on the flyover to Rohini from Mangolpuri.

Road blocked from both sides after tree fell on Kanshiram Takkar Marg, a Twitter user posted. Mahipalpur underpass towards highway is waterlogged, another person posted.

On Friday, the maximum temperature in Delhi settled at 34.5 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal.