New Delhi : Heavy rain lashed the national capital and its adjoining suburbs on Saturday, bringing relief to people from the sweltering heat but also hit road traffic and flight movement. Kolkata also saw pre-monsoon showers, while the south-west monsoon advanced further and covered the entire state of Karnataka.
In Delhi, strong gusts of wind and heavy rain uprooted trees and caused water-logging, leading to traffic snarls in many parts of the city. A shanty collapsed in the slum clusters of Shakarpur in west Delhi and the roof of a house fell in north Delhi’s Burari, said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Sixteen flights — 13 domestic and 3 international — coming to Delhi were diverted due to the bad weather, said sources at the Indira Gandhi International airport. As per Delhi Police’s traffic unit, jams were reported from many parts of the city. Showers and the subsequent drop in temperature brought more visitors to popular city spots like Connaught Place, India Gate, the three Dilli Haats and Delhi Zoo. Sunidhi Batra, a college student who was at Central Park in Connaught Place, said: “Thankfully, the heat is gone and I wish the rain continues through the weekend.” Private weather forecaster Skymet said the showers were pre-monsoon rains and will continue for the next couple of days. In Kolkata, puddles of rain water formed on major throughfares as pre-monsoon showers brought much-needed relief from the sweltering heat and humidity for residents. The spells of rain and thundershowers began in the morning and continued through the day, bringing down the mercury level.
