Delhi woke up on Wednesday to the season's heaviest downpour. Not just Delhi, in fact, the great weather in the entire National Capital Region was unfortunately accompanied by the sinking feeling about water-logging in the neighbourhoods and the inevitable surge of traffic jams.
Several commuters were marooned at Metro stations and bus stops as there were no public transport options in the water-logged areas. School and office goers were not the only ones affected, as lights and trains were delayed too.
Social media was filled with official handles putting out relevant guidelines and reminders. Delhi Traffic Police account gave out updates about water-logging all over the city.
The India Metrological Department had earlier predicted that thunderstorms with moderate to heavy rain would continue over many places of North West, South and South East National Capital Region and Delhi including Bhiwani, Rohtak, Indira Gandhi International Airport, Dwarka, RK Puram, Gurgaon, Noida, Dadri, Greater Noida – and it did.
According to weather forecasting agency Skymet, several parts of South Delhi along with Noida reported moderate to heavy rains.
The rains once again played spoilsport for the visiting United Sates Secretary of State John Kerry, who had to cancel plans to visit religious sites such as Jama Masjid and Sisganj Gurudwara.
Kerry, who is on his fourth visit to India, was delayed by an hour to keep his appointment with students of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. "Don't know how you all got here. You must have needed boats to get here," he joked.
Kerry had earlier been caught in a massive traffic jam after landing in the Capital on Monday, spending nearly an hour with his convoy trapped in traffic jams from the airport to his hotel.
On Twitter, though, it was business as usual. The water-logged streets could not drown out its sense of irreverent commentary.