Delhi sees wettest August week in 16 years, floods roads

Heavy monsoon rains have caused widespread disruption across Delhi, with severe waterlogging and traffic chaos affecting the capital for multiple consecutive days. The intense rainfall, which peaked on Thursday, August 6, and continued through Friday, August 7, inundated major roads, triggered structural damage, and brought a sharp drop in temperatures.

The India Meteorological Department reported that the first week of August has been the wettest in at least 16 years for the city. The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi's main weather station, recorded 127 mm of rainfall in the first seven days of the month, already more than half of the normal August total of 233.1 mm. On Friday alone, Safdarjung received 77.1 mm of rain in a 12-hour period. Other areas saw even higher totals, with Pushp Vihar recording 147.5 mm and Chhatarpur 131 mm between Thursday morning and Friday evening.

The downpours led to significant civic challenges. Authorities reported at least nine incidents of house and wall collapses across the capital, and at least 16 trees were uprooted. Major arterial roads were submerged, causing severe traffic jams during peak hours. Key trouble spots included the...