Pre-monsoon showers bring 45mm rainfall to Gurgaon, IMD predicts more storms

GURGAON: In the just three-and-half hours on Friday morning, the city received 45mm of rain. This is the first pre-monsoon showers of the season.
Wazirabad saw the highest rainfall at 47 mm. While Kadipur and Harsaru each received 44 mm. In contrast, Badshahpur and Sohna experienced significantly less rainfall, with 17 mm and 18 mm respectively. Manesar recorded 25 mm, Pataudi had the least with just 5 mm, and Farukh Nagar also received 18 mm of rainfall.

The showers provided much-needed respite from the sweltering heat, with the minimum temperature plummeted to 19 degrees from 26.3 degrees Celsius a day before. More showers are in store, as IMD has issued an yellow alert, indicating the possibility of moderate rain along with thunderstorm, lighting in isolated areas of the state till May 6.
The showers began at 5am and continued till around 8:30 am, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning. The rain didn’t come alone. Gusty winds at a speed of 80km/hour whipped through the city, uprooting trees and snapping power lines, causing localised blackouts. Electricity poles lay strewn in parts of old Gurgaon and South City, and some households remained without power.
Because of over three-hours of rain, streets were inundated, traffic slowed to a crawl as people leave their home for work. Several areas key spots on NH-8 such as Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk and Narsinghpur, as well as on Golf Course Road, Southern Peripheral Road, Udyog Vihar, Civil Lines, Sectors 31 and 44, and Medanta Road witnessing traffic congestion. The chaos lasted for few hours as rainwater started receding from roads.
People of Gurgaon negotiated a maze of challenges that freak weather and shaky infrastructure threw at them on Friday morning – flooded roads, several routes blocked by fallen trees somewhere else turned the regular Friday morning commute into a hurdle race.
“I left for work at 8:30, but I had to wade through water for two blocks before I could even find an auto,” said Priya Malhotra, a resident of Sector 31. “There was no way to avoid getting soaked.”
In Ardee city severe waterlogging was witnessed. “The flooding has turned the area into an unplanned swimming pool, forcing residents to wade through the waterlogged streets. This incident underscores the urgent need for better infrastructure and effective drainage solutions to prevent such chaotic scenarios in the future. This is not even monsoon rain,” said Pradeep Yadav, a resident.
Several trees were uprooted in Sushant Lok, Sector-31, Sector 45, Sector 90 and thus there was no electricity in the area. “There is waterlogging after rain at the same spots year-on-year. Authorities keep making plans but there is no change on the ground,” said Kesav Sharma, a resident of Sector 45.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast cloudy skies with the possibility of one or two spells of rain or thundershowers till May 6. The maximum temperature may hover between 34 and 35 degrees Celsius over the next five days, while the minimum temperature will range between 19 and 20 degrees Celsius, officials said.
The weather department has advised people to stay cautious and take necessary precautions during rainfall and gusty wind. People should avoid venturing out unnecessarily during heavy downpours and should keep an eye on weather updates.