Heavy monsoon rain battered several parts of India on Tuesday, bringing relief from heat in Delhi-NCR but triggering traffic snarls, flight delays, waterlogging and deadly landslides across states.
Rain and thunderstorms lashed Delhi-NCR through the day, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to warn of more showers, lightning and gusty winds over the next few days. Temperatures are expected to remain between 32 and 37 degrees Celsius, with cloudy skies and spells of light to moderate rain likely across Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurugram.
Flight operations in Delhi and Mumbai were also affected, with IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet issuing advisories asking passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport and allow extra travel time because of slow-moving traffic.
In Haryana, severe waterlogging was reported in parts of Gurugram after heavy rainfall. Massive traffic snarls were witnessed at Hero Honda Chowk, while visuals from Begumpur Khatola showed roads inundated, disrupting movement.
Maharashtra, too, remained under pressure from intense rain. In Bhiwandi, a local resident, Shadab, dressed as Spider-Man, was seen helping regulate traffic and clearing stagnant water amid flooding. He said he stepped in after noticing that municipal authorities had not reached the spot to address the accumulated water. “Inspired by how Spider-Man helps people and saves lives in the movies, I decided to do the same in real life,” he said.
In Kerala’s Wayanad district, three people were reported dead after a massive landslide struck a tunnel construction site near Meppady. Terrifying CCTV footage showed mud and debris crashing down at the site near the Kalladi-Anakkampoyil tunnel project. Six people have been rescued, while several others are feared trapped as rescue operations continue.
The IMD said the Southwest Monsoon has advanced further into parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana, with conditions favourable for its progress into the remaining parts of the country over the next two to three days. Extremely heavy rain has been forecast over Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala and Karnataka, while heavy rain is also likely in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh.
Authorities have advised residents in vulnerable areas to avoid waterlogged roads, stay away from rivers and drains, and follow official weather and traffic advisories as the active monsoon spell continues.