The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported on Thursday that six weather stations in Delhi recorded over 100 mm of rainfall in just one day. The IMD has classified this as an "extremely intense spell" of rain.
During a press conference, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology at the IMD, clarified that the heavy rainfall experienced in Delhi was not due to a cloudburst. The IMD reported that Safdarjung, the city's primary weather station, recorded 107 mm of rain over the past 24 hours. Other stations also experienced significant rainfall, with Mayur Vihar receiving 147 mm, Najafgarh and Ridge 113 mm each, Lodi Road 106 mm, and Delhi University 104 mm.
In comparison, other stations reported lower rainfall amounts, with Pusa recording 86 mm, Aaya Nagar 71 mm, and the Palam observatory 68.3 mm, as per IMD data. Mohapatra added that while the IMD initially issued an 'orange' alert for Delhi, it was later upgraded to 'red' as the situation escalated.
"Yesterday's conditions were not due to a cloudburst but rather an extremely intense spell of rain," he added. The weather office has now issued a 'yellow' alert for Thursday and Friday, with light to moderate rain anticipated in the city.
The IMD employs color codes in weather warnings to indicate the severity of anticipated weather phenomena. The primary goal is to alert relevant officials and disaster management authorities about the potential impact of the weather, enabling them to prepare and take necessary actions for disaster risk reduction.