Delhi is witnessing another spell of heavy rain on Tuesday, a day after intense showers caused widespread waterlogging and traffic disruption across the national capital. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Delhi, warning of heavy rain along with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds.

According to an IMD update issued at 6:45 am, heavy rainfall was likely over Delhi during the following two to three hours. Moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and winds of 30-40 kmph was also expected at many places, while heavy rain was likely at a few locations.

The alert covers several districts, including Central Delhi, East Delhi, New Delhi, North Delhi, North East Delhi, North West Delhi, Shahdara, South Delhi, South East Delhi, South West Delhi and West Delhi.

Delhi Airport flight operations remain normal

Despite the adverse weather forecast, flight operations at Delhi Airport are currently normal, according to a passenger advisory.

The advisory said that inclement weather conditions were expected in the vicinity of the airport but confirmed that flight operations remained normal at the time of the update.

However, the situation was different on Monday when heavy rain and adverse weather affected flight operations. A total of 15 flights were diverted from Delhi Airport, including three international flights.

Of the 15 diverted flights, 12 were sent to Jaipur, two to Chandigarh and one to Lucknow.

What caused Delhi’s intense rainfall?

An IMD scientist, Dr Shashi Kant, attributed the intense rainfall to the interaction of two different air masses.

According to him, dry northerly winds were moving into Delhi from the north, while moisture-laden easterly winds associated with a low-pressure area forming near West Bengal were flowing from the Bay of Bengal.

The interaction between these air masses resulted in high-intensity rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms over Delhi.

Gurugram faces severe waterlogging

Neighbouring Gurugram also witnessed severe waterlogging on Monday following around an hour of rain.

Several key areas were affected, including Rajiv Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Railway Road, Sector 5, Old Delhi Road, Mehrauli Road and Basai Road.

Visuals showed school buses stranded on submerged roads, while motorists were seen dragging their vehicles through waterlogged stretches.

Following the disruption, the Gurugram administration asked offices to allow employees to work from home. Schools were also asked to conduct classes through online mode.

Delhi rain alert: What is the latest update?

The IMD has issued a red alert for Delhi, with heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds expected across several parts of the capital.

The Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department has temporarily suspended the food licences of Amazon, Instamart and BigBasket over the sale of datura fruits and seeds on their platforms for human consumption.

The action followed complaints regarding the sale and online listing of datura products on the platforms. The department had earlier ordered an inquiry into the matter.

During its investigation, the authority found datura fruits and seeds displayed for sale on various e-commerce platforms. In some cases, the products carried FSSAI licence or registration numbers despite being toxic and posing a serious health risk if consumed.

The investigation also found packets containing datura fruits and seeds bearing food licence or registration numbers. The products were reportedly stored in warehouses and offered for sale or distribution through online platforms.

What the companies told the regulator

Representatives of the companies appeared before the authority during the proceedings.

According to the order, Amazon did not submit a response, while Instamart sought additional time to submit documents regarding the action it had taken.

BigBasket said it had stopped the online sale of the fruits. It also said it would correct the labelling in the future to clearly state that the products are “Not for human consumption”.

The regulator, however, found the responses and explanations unsatisfactory and said that storing, selling or distributing the products as food was impermissible.

Licences of suppliers also suspended

The department has directed the concerned authorities to temporarily suspend, until further orders, the food licences issued to Amazon, Instamart and BigBasket.

The suspension can be reversed following a hearing if the platforms submit a response.

The licences and registrations of suppliers and sellers providing the products to the three online platforms have also been ordered to be suspended with immediate effect.

The order further directs the concerned food business operators to immediately remove or suspend online listings and advertisements offering datura fruits or seeds for food or human consumption.

A Gurugram resident expressed frustration after spending four hours travelling amid heavy rain and traffic congestion on Monday, August 24.

In a social media post titled “4 Hours and counting for an 8km round trip”, the resident said they had stepped out to pick up their child from school when heavy rain caused traffic to move at a snail’s pace.

The resident said that after four hours, they still had two kilometres left to reach their destination.

“It’s been 4 hours since I stepped out to pick up my kid from school. A total round trip of 8 kms and I still have 2 km left to go,” the resident wrote.

Heavy rain triggers waterlogging, traffic jams

Major parts of Gurugram were heavily inundated as the city witnessed 70–75 mm of rain. 

Traffic movement was severely affected around several key locations, including Rajiv Chowk, Narsinghpur, the Sirhaul border and Subhash Chowk.

The resident strongly criticised the administration, describing the situation as a result of what they called “incompetence” and corruption. 

Social media users share similar experiences

The post drew reactions from other social media users, several of whom shared their own experiences of travelling through Gurugram during the rain.

One user said they began trying to book an Uber auto at 2 pm, got one at 3 pm and reached Huda at 4:30 pm. The user also said they paid four times the fare. 

Another user questioned road planning and infrastructure, arguing that better engineering and planning could help deal with recurring rain-related disruption.

A third user recalled being stuck for hours during heavy rain in 2016 and said a similar situation had occurred in 2026. The user also said they expected such disruptions to continue in the future.

Another social media user said there was “no accountability” and described governance as the underlying problem.

The reactions highlighted residents’ frustration over traffic disruption and waterlogging during heavy rainfall in Gurugram.