New Delhi, August 24, 2026

Heavy rain and thunderstorms disrupted normal life across Delhi on Monday, with flight operations, road traffic and daily commuting facing major interruptions. The intense spell of monsoon weather affected arrivals and departures at Delhi airport, while waterlogging and congestion were reported from several parts of the city and neighbouring areas.

A total of 15 flights were diverted from Delhi airport because of the adverse weather, including three international flights. Twelve of these flights were diverted to Jaipur, while two were sent to Chandigarh and one to Lucknow. The disruption also raised concerns over delays on subsequent flights, prompting airlines to issue advisories and ask passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. Air India said, "Adverse weather conditions may impact flight operations to and from Delhi today". IndiGo said, "Bad weather over Delhi has impacted flight schedules. We are closely monitoring the weather and doing our best to get you where you need to be, safely and smoothly."

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for heavy rainfall and a yellow alert for moderate rain across several districts. Intense showers were reported in parts of South Delhi and nearby regions, while thunderstorms, lightning and winds of 30-40 kmph were also forecast in several areas. The IMD said heavy rain was very likely at isolated places in districts including South East Delhi, East Delhi, Shahdara, Central Delhi, North East Delhi, South Delhi, New Delhi, South West Delhi, West Delhi, North West Delhi and North Delhi. Moderate rain, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and winds of 30-40 kmph, was also expected at many places across parts of Central, South, South West, West, North West and North Delhi.

According to weather forecaster India Met Sky, scattered spells of heavy rainfall along with lightning and gusty winds of up to 25 kmph were likely in parts of Ghaziabad, East Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Delhi and South Delhi, as well as nearby areas. The agency said hot and humid conditions could return once the rain subsides, with similar scattered rainfall activity expected over the next two days. Meanwhile, residents reported waterlogging and heavy traffic through social media, while rainfall in Ghaziabad brought relief from the weather but also caused major inconvenience for commuters as traffic slowed and congestion built up on several roads. The widespread disruption highlights how intense monsoon conditions can simultaneously affect air travel, road connectivity and everyday movement across Delhi-NCR.