Delhi on Saturday morning recorded very heavy rain, which caused waterlogging inside terminal three of the airport and inundated several parts of the city. The downpour will continue till Sunday morning, said the India Meteorological Department.

“It [the rainfall] will cover Delhi-NCR, Punjab and Rajasthan,” said weather department senior official RK Jenamani, according to The Times of India. “Systems over east Rajasthan and another forming over Bay of Bengal are likely to intensify further. Delhi will receive fresh spell of rain from September 17-18.”

The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for Delhi. The weather department issues an orange alert, which indicates that authorities should be prepared to take action in case of inclement weather.

The weather department also issued the same alert for areas adjoining Delhi. This included Bahadurgarh, Gurugram, Manesar, Faridabad, Ballabhgarh, Loni Dehat, Hindon Air Force Station, Ghaziabad, Chhapraula, Noida, Dadri and Greater Noida.

The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides rainfall data for the national Capital, said that Delhi has received 1,100 mm of rainfall this season, making the 2021 monsoon the wettest season in 46 years, PTI reported.

This is the highest amount of rain that has been recorded since the monsoon season in 1975, when the city recorded 1,150 mm of rainfall, a weather department official said.

“This year, the precipitation has already hit the 1,100-mm mark and the season has not ended yet,” the official added.

The Safdarjung Observatory said that Delhi recorded 10.2 mm of rainfall between 5.30 pm and 8.30 pm on Friday, according to The Indian Express.

Commuters wade through a waterlogged area following heavy rains in Delhi-NCR's Faridabad area on Saturday. (Credit: PTI)

At 11.33 am, the Delhi airport authorities apologised for the inconvenience caused to the passengers and said that the water had reached the forecourt of Terminal 3 for a “short period”.

“Our team was immediately aligned to look into it and the issue has been resolved,” the official Twitter account of the Delhi airport said.

The rain caused major traffic disruptions and severe flooding in low-lying areas of the city, the India Meteorological Department said. The roads in Delhi’s Motibagh, Jorbagh, Madhu Vihar and RK Pooram areas were inundated.

Meanwhile, the rainfall recorded all over India in August was the lowest in 12 years, the weather department said on Friday.

“During August 2021, rainfall over the country as a whole was below Long Period Average (LPA) by minus 24%,” the weather department said. “It is also the lowest August rainfall in last 12 years after 2009.”

Two weak spells of rain prevailed between August 9 and 16 and August 23 and 27. The monsoon was subdued over when northwest, central and adjoining peninsular and west coast of India.

The weather department said that fewer low pressure system – that are responsible for heavy rain – did not move westward in August, culminating in deficient rainfall.