Delhi Drenched: IMD Issues Red Alert as Record Rainfall Triggers Chaos Across NCR
New Delhi, May 25, 2025 — A relentless bout of torrential rain brought India's capital and its neighboring cities to a near standstill on Sunday, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a rare 'red' alert for Delhi, Gurugram, and Faridabad. With over 150 mm of rainfall recorded in parts of the region in just a few hours, life across the National Capital Region (NCR) was thrown into disarray due to severe waterlogging, traffic snarls, flight diversions, and power outages.
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| Credit _The tribune |
Record-Breaking Rainfall in May
This deluge marked a historic moment in the city’s meteorological records. According to IMD data, Delhi recorded more than 186 mm of rainfall this May, surpassing a century-old record. On Sunday alone, several weather stations across the city logged over 80 mm of rain, while localized cloudbursts led to more than 110 mm falling in some areas within an hour.
IMD scientists attributed this rare weather event to a deep depression moving over northern India, which intensified due to high surface moisture and unseasonal wind patterns. The capital, which typically sees only light showers in May, was caught off guard by the scale of this event.
Waterlogging Paralyzes Daily Life
Within minutes of the downpour, visuals of flooded streets, submerged vehicles, and stranded commuters began circulating on social media. Major intersections such as Minto Bridge, ITO, and Ring Road resembled rivers, with water levels rising as high as car windows in some locations. In central and south Delhi, low-lying colonies were especially vulnerable, with water entering homes and shops.
Faridabad and Gurugram, two key business and residential hubs adjoining Delhi, fared no better. In Gurugram’s Sector 29 and Hero Honda Chowk, waterlogging led to knee-deep flooding, stranding office-goers and stalling traffic on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway for hours. Faridabad’s arterial roads saw similar scenes of chaos, with local authorities struggling to activate drainage systems in time.
Air and Rail Services Hit Hard
The impact of the storm wasn’t limited to the roads. Air travel was severely disrupted, with over 45 flights either delayed or diverted from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Visibility at the airport dropped below permissible landing limits for several hours due to a combination of rain and strong winds.
Rail traffic too bore the brunt of the weather. Northern Railway reported delays in at least 20 trains due to track obstructions and signal issues caused by fallen trees and waterlogging. In some cases, passengers were stranded at platforms without access to clear information on train schedules.
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