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Updated: Jan 22, 2019 10:54 IST

Commuters were caught up in traffic jams in several places across Delhi as heavy rains and hailstorms hit the national capital and its neighbouring areas during rush hour on Tuesday morning.

Delhi Traffic Police tweeted advisories asking commuters to avoid stretches as waterlogging was reported in several areas including Mathura Road, Ashram Chowk, Moolchand underpass, Bihari Colony, Chhatrasal Stadium and Savitri Cinema area in Greater Kailash Part 2.

Traffic Alert



Obstruction in traffic in the carriageway from Savitri Cinema GK2 towards Ashram due to waterlogging at Savitri Cinema. Kindly avoid the stretch. pic.twitter.com/xdFuMGMM8l — Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) January 22, 2019

Traffic Alert



Traffic is affected at Moolchand underpass, Bihari Colony under railway bridge on road No. 57 and Chhatrasal Stadium main gate red light due to waterlogging. — Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) January 22, 2019

Traffic Alert



Traffic is affected at Karala Chowk, PTS Malviya Nagar Red Light, Under Modi Mill Flyover, Azad Market Underpass from KD Chowk towards Azad Market, Narayana Flyover towards Loha Mandi, Defence Colony Underpass from Jungpura towards Lajpat Nagar due to water logging — Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) January 22, 2019

As traffic jams were reported in the national capital, airlines such as Vistara asked its passengers to travel to the airport accordingly.

“Due to rain, there is traffic congestion enroute to Delhi airport road. Customers are advised to allow more time for their journey to the airport,” Vistara tweeted.

News agency ANI reported that at least 15 trains to the Capital were delayed due to fog and low visibility.

Hail storms were reported in areas like Subhash Nagar and Paschim Vihar in the morning in the city, which received rains throughout on Monday night. Some trees were also uprooted after the rains.

The rain and hailstorms caused a sharp dip in temperature in parts of Delhi and its neighbouring areas as well.

The minimum temperature recorded was at 11.5 degrees Celsius, which was four notches more than the season’s average. On the other hand, the maximum temperature was at 22.6 degrees Celsius, which was a notch more than the season’s average.

The weather office has said heavy to very heavy rain and snow at isolated places is very likely over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh and heavy rain/snow over Uttarakhand.

It added that heavy rain at isolated places is very likely over Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi. It also said a hailstorm is also very likely over Jammu division, lower regions of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, northwest Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan.

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“A cyclonic circulation has already formed over Rajasthan because of an approaching western disturbance. This is expected to trigger rain across the plains of northwest India, including Delhi, from the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday,” BP Yadav, deputy director general of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), said.

Another IMD official said the night temperature is expected to rise while the days are expected to get colder with the rain.

“By Tuesday, the night temperature could go up to 10°C while the day temperature could drop to around 20°C,” the official said.

The national highway connecting Jammu and Srinagar was closed on Tuesday following landslides and snowfall and reports of an avalanche hitting the highway in the Jawahar Tunnel area. A team has been rushed to take stock.

Traffic department officials said landslides have hit the strategic highway at some places in the Ramban district, including Digdol, Panthal, Magarkote and Khoni Nallah.

“There has been fresh snowfall in Bannihal sector. Incessant rains are continuing in other parts of the highway. This is the second consecutive day of the highway remaining closed,” a traffic official said, according to PTI.

“No vehicular movement will be allowed on the highway today. Landslide clearance will be started only after the weather improves,” the official said.

The MeT Centre in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow has forecast that rain and thundershowers with gusty winds very likely to occur on Tuesday at some places over Hardoi, Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Meerut, Hapur, Shamli, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad and adjoining areas.