Delhi Records Wettest May Ever On Record As Heavy Downpour Lashes National Capital

SOURCE ; NEW18

Last Updated:May 25, 2025, 23:29 IST

With a thunderstorm battering Delhi on Sunday and dumping 81.4 mm of rain in just a few hours, Delhi recorded its wettest May since recordkeeping began in 1901,

Delhi Rains: The national capital recorded its wettest May since record-keeping began in 1901 as heavy rainfall and an intense thunderstorm overnight on Saturday inundated roads, disrupted traffic, and lead to flight delays at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), 81.4 mm rainfall was recorded in the overnight downpour. The month’s cumulative rainfall has now touched 186.4 mm, surpassing the previous all-time record of 165 mm logged in May 2008. Other records for the month of May include 144.8 mm in 2021, 129.3 mm in 2002, and 111 mm in 2023.

Additionally, the heavy rainfall the national capital experienced on Sunday was the city’s second-highest 24-hour May rainfall on record, breaching the 119.3 mm record logged on May 20, 2021.

The city had earlier seen 77 mm of rain on May 2, according to the IMD data. On May 15, strong winds carried dust from Pakistan and northwestern India, triggering a thick haze and a drop in air quality. And on May 21, after the heat index soared to 50°C, wind gusts of up to 80 km/h caused temperatures to plunge by 14°C in a just few hours.

Notably, heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds and thunderstorms battered Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) shortly after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for the capital.

As per the latest data, Safdarjung received 81 mm of rain, followed by Pusa with 71 mm, Palam with 68 mm and Mayur Vihar with 48 mm. Temperatures nose-dived overnight, with the mercury plunging 10 degrees at Safdarjung – from 31 to 21 degrees Celsius within 75 minutes.

The storm, which struck around 2 am, brought gusty winds peaking at 82 kmph, leading to widespread waterlogging, uprooted trees, and major disruptions at the airport.

Multiple roads and underpasses were flooded during the early morning hours. More than 200 flights were delayed or affected due to the adverse weather conditions. Severe waterlogging was witnessed in several parts of the city after the heavy rain. Traffic congestion and slow vehicular movement was also reported from several areas.

The weather agency said the unusually intense storm was the result of the interaction between moist southeasterly winds and dry westerlies, further intensified by three active weather systems: a western disturbance over north Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, and two upper air cyclonic circulations – one over northwest Uttar Pradesh and north Haryana, and another over west Rajasthan.

(With inputs from agencies)

First Published:

May 25, 2025, 23:29 IST