Delhi, Noida and Gurugram brace for more rain as IMD issues fresh alerts; check complete forecast

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast another spell of showers in Delhi and the wider NCR on Thursday, with multiple alerts remaining in force.

While Noida and Ghaziabad are under a yellow warning for light rain and thunderstorms, Gurugram has been placed under an orange alert for moderate rainfall.

The national capital is expected to see thunderstorms accompanied by rain through the day, with temperatures forecast to range between 24°C and 33°C. The weather office has also warned of isolated heavy rainfall across Haryana and Chandigarh on September 4.

Yamuna continues to rise, operations hit at Nigambodh Ghat

Persistent rain this week has pushed the Yamuna river in Delhi above the 207-metre mark for the fifth time since 1963. By Wednesday night, water levels had reached 207.44 metres, well over the evacuation threshold and only slightly below the 1978 flood peak of 207.49 metres.

The flooding has forced the temporary suspension of cremations at the historic Nigambodh Ghat after the river breached its banks and inundated the premises. Delhi has already recorded more than 1,000 mm of rainfall this monsoon season, far above its annual average of 774 mm.

Air travel remained under pressure as airlines flagged weather-related disruptions. SpiceJet, in a passenger advisory, said: “Due to bad weather in Delhi (DEL), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may be affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status.”

NCR schools shut, Punjab and hill states reel under floods

Neighbouring cities have also been hit hard. Schools in Noida and Ghaziabad remained closed on Wednesday due to heavy downpours, while large parts of Gurugram reported severe waterlogging and traffic snarls.

In Punjab, authorities said the state is facing its worst flooding since 1988, with 37 deaths confirmed so far. The government has released ₹71 crore for immediate relief and rehabilitation.

In Himachal Pradesh, a deadly landslide in Mandi’s Sundernagar area has claimed seven lives, while Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu ordered the air evacuation of stranded Manimahesh Yatra pilgrims. All schools and colleges in the state will remain closed until September 7.

Jammu and Kashmir too has been battered by torrential rain, causing flash floods, landslides and the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu highway for a second day. BSF helicopters were deployed to rescue 47 civilians from a flooded village in Akhnoor, while rivers including the Chenab and Jhelum are flowing at or above the danger mark.