Noida/Ghaziabad: A sudden spell of rainfall slowed traffic across parts of Noida and Ghaziabad during peak evening rush hour on Wednesday.While the downpour came as a welcome relief after a day of oppressive humidity, intense spells triggered widespread waterlogging and congestion. Key intersections, including Noida’s Ek Murti Chowk and the stretch near Gaur City Mall, saw traffic come to a near standstill. In Ghaziabad, vehicles crawled along the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and Sector 32 flyover, as motorists struggled to navigate through flooded roads and reduced visibility.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Delhi-NCR through a nowcast bulletin at 7.30 pm, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall for the next three hours. Though average rainfall levels remained modest in some areas—4 mm in GB Nagar, 1.5 mm in Dadri, and 1 mm in Ghaziabad—residents reported brief but intense bursts of rain. In Delhi, Palam station recorded 14 mm of rainfall, while Safdarjung saw only 1.4 mm.”We saw extreme rain across most parts, with over 60 mm in under an hour,” weather analyst Navdeep Dahiya shared on X, attributing the sudden intensity to the shifting monsoon axis.Commuters said they were blinded by sheets of rain. Vikas Kumar, a resident of Noida’s Sector 63, said driving home from Delhi as a challenge. “Visibility was very poor. The flyovers were flooded, and the traffic was barely moving,” he said.On Noida Expressway, low-lying areas like Dalit Prerna Sthal and Bird Feeding Point were flooded, causing major tailbacks. Traffic near Sector 18 metro station was severely affected, with vehicles stuck for over 20 minutes. “After descending from the Elevated Road, I was stuck for nearly half an hour,” said Gaurav Kumar, a commuter.In Ghaziabad, commuters reported a 1.5 km jam from Meerut Road tri-section to Ghukna, made worse by bikers seeking shelter under an under-construction foot overbridge near the rapid rail station. Arvind Mishra, who was caught in the jam, said traffic came to a near standstill during the showers.Shastri Nagar and Cis Hindon localities also witnessed ankle-deep water, affecting both vehicular and pedestrian movement.Traffic officials said personnel were deployed at all major junctions to manage the situation. “Rainfall naturally slows traffic. However, no trees or electric poles were reported to have fallen,” said Lakhan Singh Yadav, DCP (traffic), Noida.In Delhi, areas like Shastri Park, Krishna Nagar and Gandhi Nagar were flooded while in central Delhi, waterlogging was reported at ITO, Bishambar Das Marg, Gurudwara Rakab Ganj and Bharat Mandapam on Mathura Road. In south Delhi, people reported waterlogging on CV Raman Marg, Mathura Road, opposite Savitri Complex and Mahipalpur area.In Gurgaon, Golf Course Extension Road, Sohna Road and Subhash Chowk went under 3-4 feet of water during rush hours. A vehicle stalled on Rajeev Chowk, triggering a three-hour jam there. Traffic also crawled at Narsingpur along the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, Hero Honda Chowk, Palam Vihar, Sector 48, Sector 31 and Sheetla Mata road.Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet weather, attributed the intensity of the showers to the monsoon trough currently passing close to Delhi. “The region experienced intense rain, thunder, and lightning. While showers may continue into Thursday, intensity is likely to taper,” he said.The rain also brought a marginal dip in temperatures. Noida recorded a maximum of 33°C, slightly down from Tuesday’s 33.3°C, while Ghaziabad saw a sharper drop from 36.2°C to 34.5°C.Meanwhile, rain led to the diversions of six Delhi-bound flights, including four to Jaipur and two to Lucknow. Flightradar24, a live flight tracking website, stated that over 300 flights were delayed at Delhi Airport, with an average delay time of 38 minutes. The Met department has forecast more overnight rain and light to moderate showers on Thursday. However, rain activity is expected to be subdued from Friday onwards.The Met department has not issued any colour-coded warning for the next six days. IMD has predicted that there are chances of light to moderate rain on Thursday, while the city may receive very light to light rain from Friday to July 15.