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The severe form of monsoon is being seen in the country's capital Delhi and the entire National Capital Region (NCR) adjacent to it. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Delhi-NCR and has predicted extremely heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorm in the next few hours. Along with this, an alert has also been issued in many border districts of neighboring states Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for torrential rain with thunder and strong winds at a speed of 50 to 60 kilometers per hour. Since Monday morning, a cloud of dark clouds had gathered in the sky and by afternoon, it started raining with loud thunder all over Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad. Due to the rain, the main roads and underpasses of the capital have been filled with knee-deep water, due to which people returning from offices and common pedestrians are facing a lot of problems. Weather patterns changed in Delhi-NCR: Thunderstorms and torrential rain slowed down the pace. Monday brought disastrous rains for the residents of Delhi-NCR. The movement of clouds was continuing since morning, but in the afternoon it suddenly became dark and heavy rains along with strong winds started. There was torrential rain with strong gusts in Palam, Safdarjung, Najafgarh, Mayur Vihar, Pusa and IGI Airport areas. According to the Meteorological Department, the combined effect of Monsoon Trough and Western Disturbance has created excessive moisture and instability in the atmosphere of Delhi-NCR. Due to this, the pace of cloud formation was very fast, due to which several millimeters of rain was recorded in a short period of time. Due to rain, there has been a huge drop in the temperature of the city by 4 to 5 degrees Celsius, which has given relief to the people from the sultry heat, but waterlogging has disrupted life. Thunderstorm alert in UP and Haryana: Lightning may fall with strong winds. The Meteorological Department has predicted bad weather not only in Delhi but also in large parts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. An alert of heavy rain and storm has been issued in Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Baghpat and Moradabad in western Uttar Pradesh. At the same time, in Haryana's Gurugram, Faridabad, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Sonipat and Ambala districts, there has been a warning of strong lightning along with rain. The Meteorological Department has warned that due to the strong storm, mud houses, tree branches and advertisement hoardings may get damaged. There is also a danger of lightning falling at many places, hence people have been given strict instructions to stay in safe places and not take shelter in open fields or under trees. Knee-deep water on the roads: Pedestrians suffering due to waterlogging and severe traffic jams. As soon as heavy rains started, the situation of waterlogging in low-lying areas and main intersections of Delhi-NCR became dire. The wheels of vehicles stopped due to waterlogging on Delhi's Minto Road, Dhaula Kuan, ITO, ITO Underpass, Moti Bagh, Peeragarhi and Mehrauli-Badarpur Road. Long queues of vehicles formed due to knee-deep water accumulation at Gurugram's Delhi-Jaipur Highway (NH-48), IFFCO Chowk, Rajiv Chowk and Hero Honda Chowk. Even in the low-lying areas of Noida and Ghaziabad, drain water started flowing on the roads, due to which two-wheeler drivers had to face a lot of trouble. Delhi Traffic Police and Noida Traffic Police have issued advisories advising travelers to avoid waterlogged roads and use alternative routes. At many places, there was traffic jam for hours due to vehicles getting stuck in water. Meteorological Department (IMD) alert and advisory: Know these important things before leaving home. The Meteorological Department (IMD) has appealed to the citizens to exercise extreme caution in its Red and Orange Alert Bulletin. According to senior IMD officials, avoid leaving the house unless there is urgent work during heavy rains and strong thunderstorms. Stay away from electric poles, transformers and old trees, as there is a high risk of them falling in strong winds. While driving, keep the speed low and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, as sudden braking on wet roads can cause slipping. Do not try to cross waterlogged underpasses and submerged roads, as not knowing the depth of water can lead to a major accident. Farmers and farm laborers have been advised to leave open fields and take shelter in permanent houses during lightning. How will the weather be in the next 48 hours? How long is the rainy season expected to continue? According to weather forecasting agencies, the monsoon trough situation is going to persist over Delhi-NCR and North-West India for the next two days. Due to this, intermittent moderate to heavy rains are likely to continue for the next 24 to 48 hours. On Tuesday and Wednesday also, some areas of Delhi, Western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana will remain cloudy and heavy rain may be recorded in some spells. At the administrative level, teams of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), PWD and NDRF have been put on alert mode so that water can be immediately pumped out from the waterlogged site and immediate assistance can be provided to the stranded people. Municipal corporations have also released the helpline numbers of the control room so that citizens can contact immediately in case of waterlogging or falling of trees. At present, the people of Delhi-NCR do not see any immediate relief from the problems of torrential rains and traffic problems.