Delhi braces for floods: Yamuna swells to 205.75m after nonstop rains lash NCR, city on orange alert
“The government is fully prepared to handle the situation,” Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said, urging residents not to panic.
- Sep 2, 2025,
- Updated Sep 2, 2025 8:33 AM IST
Heavy rains pounded Delhi-NCR for a second straight day on Tuesday, flooding roads, crippling traffic and triggering a flood warning as the Yamuna river swelled above the danger mark.
Authorities said the Yamuna touched 205.75 metres at the Old Railway Bridge, surpassing the danger threshold of 205.33 metres. With continuous discharges from the Hathnikund, Wazirabad and Okhla barrages, officials warned the river could reach the evacuation level of 206 metres by Tuesday evening.
“The government is fully prepared to handle the situation,” Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said, urging residents not to panic.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert, warning of more moderate to heavy showers through the week. At Palam, visibility plunged from 2,500 metres to just 800 metres during an intense spell, while Aya Nagar recorded 48.9 mm of rainfall.
Mahesh Palawat of Skymet said Delhi would see “on-and-off rain till September 5,” citing both monsoon activity and an unusually strong western disturbance.
Neighbouring cities were equally hard-hit. Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad saw waist-deep water in parts and massive traffic snarls. A four-kilometre jam stretched along NH-48, and the Signature Tower Chowk underpass in Gurugram was submerged. Reports of leakage at a flyover added to the chaos.
With water levels rising, the Delhi government ordered officials to patrol vulnerable stretches of the Yamuna and shift families living on embankments to safer ground. “All sector officers are advised to keep a strict vigil,” a government order read.
The downpour also disrupted air travel. IndiGo and Air India issued advisories warning of delays and urging passengers to plan journeys to the airport well in advance.
Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 30.8°C, nearly 4°C below normal. Humidity hovered between 71% and 90%. The rain, however, improved air quality, with the AQI falling to 60, categorised as ‘satisfactory’.
Heavy rains pounded Delhi-NCR for a second straight day on Tuesday, flooding roads, crippling traffic and triggering a flood warning as the Yamuna river swelled above the danger mark.
Authorities said the Yamuna touched 205.75 metres at the Old Railway Bridge, surpassing the danger threshold of 205.33 metres. With continuous discharges from the Hathnikund, Wazirabad and Okhla barrages, officials warned the river could reach the evacuation level of 206 metres by Tuesday evening.
“The government is fully prepared to handle the situation,” Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said, urging residents not to panic.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert, warning of more moderate to heavy showers through the week. At Palam, visibility plunged from 2,500 metres to just 800 metres during an intense spell, while Aya Nagar recorded 48.9 mm of rainfall.
Mahesh Palawat of Skymet said Delhi would see “on-and-off rain till September 5,” citing both monsoon activity and an unusually strong western disturbance.
Neighbouring cities were equally hard-hit. Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad saw waist-deep water in parts and massive traffic snarls. A four-kilometre jam stretched along NH-48, and the Signature Tower Chowk underpass in Gurugram was submerged. Reports of leakage at a flyover added to the chaos.
With water levels rising, the Delhi government ordered officials to patrol vulnerable stretches of the Yamuna and shift families living on embankments to safer ground. “All sector officers are advised to keep a strict vigil,” a government order read.
The downpour also disrupted air travel. IndiGo and Air India issued advisories warning of delays and urging passengers to plan journeys to the airport well in advance.
Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 30.8°C, nearly 4°C below normal. Humidity hovered between 71% and 90%. The rain, however, improved air quality, with the AQI falling to 60, categorised as ‘satisfactory’.