IMD issues red, orange alerts for Delhi, UP as monsoon blankets India
Synopsis
The Southwest Monsoon blanketed the entire country on 9 July — just one day behind its normal schedule — but the milestone brings little comfort to parts of UP, where red alerts warn of extremely heavy rainfall across 8 districts. Delhi is under an orange alert even as NCR residents catch a brief break after two days of waterlogging chaos.
Key Takeaways
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Delhi on 10 July , with rainfall intensity expected to ease from 11 July .
A red alert for extremely heavy rainfall has been issued for 8 UP districts including Muzaffarnagar , Bareilly , and Moradabad .
Gurugram , Noida , and Ghaziabad saw severe waterlogging and traffic disruptions over the past two days.
Rainfall is expected to ease in Mumbai and most of Maharashtra , though Pune and Satara retain orange alerts.
The Southwest Monsoon covered all of India on 9 July , just one day later than its normal arrival date of 8 July .
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Delhi and red alerts for several districts of Uttar Pradesh on 10 July, warning of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall through the day. The warnings come even as residents of Delhi-NCR woke up to cooler, cloudier conditions on Friday — a brief respite after two days of relentless downpours that triggered severe waterlogging and traffic chaos across the region.
Alert Levels Across States
In Delhi, the IMD's orange alert signals the likelihood of heavy rainfall during the day, though the department noted that intensity is expected to taper from 11 July onwards. Across Uttar Pradesh, the weather agency has sounded a red alert — indicating the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall — for Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Moradabad, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Badaun, Sambhal, and Jyotiba Phule Nagar. Orange alerts are in place for Sitapur, Hardoi, Bulandshahr, Saharanpur, Kushinagar, Lakhimpur Kheri, Shahjahanpur, and Hapur.
In Uttarakhand, heavy rainfall is also forecast, keeping the northern belt on high alert as monsoon moisture continues to surge northward.
Maharashtra: Easing Rain, Localised Alerts
Rainfall activity is expected to weaken across most of Maharashtra on Friday, with light showers forecast for the majority of the state. However, the IMD has retained an orange alert for Pune and Satara, while a yellow alert remains active for Raigad, Kolhapur, Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Nagpur, Chandrapur, and Gadchiroli, advising residents to stay cautious. Mumbai is also expected to see reduced rainfall activity through the day.
NCR Waterlogging and Disruptions
The past two days of heavy rain left parts of Delhi-NCR severely waterlogged, with Noida and Ghaziabad among the worst affected. Gurugram bore the brunt of the disruption, with prolonged traffic gridlocks prompting multiple private companies to issue work-from-home advisories to employees. The scenes echo a pattern that has repeated itself in the NCR corridor over successive monsoon seasons, where drainage infrastructure struggles to absorb peak rainfall events.
Monsoon Covers Entire India
In a significant meteorological milestone, the IMD confirmed that the Southwest Monsoon advanced into the remaining parts of the north Arabian Sea, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab on 9 July, completing its seasonal coverage of the entire country. The advance came just one day later than the normal expected date of 8 July, making this one of the more punctual monsoon completions in recent years. The full coverage sets the stage for widespread rainfall activity across northern and northwestern India in the days ahead.
With red alerts active in UP and the monsoon now fully established, authorities in vulnerable districts have been urged to remain on high alert for flash flooding and waterlogging.
Point of View
But the real story is in the alerts map. Eight red-alert districts in UP signal that the northern plains are absorbing the season's first intense pulse — and the NCR's waterlogging crisis is a reminder that urban flood infrastructure has not kept pace with the monsoon's intensifying rainfall events. The pattern of companies issuing work-from-home advisories after a single heavy rain event is itself a metric of how badly drainage planning has lagged urban growth in the Delhi-NCR corridor.
NationPress
10 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the IMD alert level for Delhi on 10 July?
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Delhi on 10 July, warning of heavy rainfall during the day. Rainfall intensity is expected to decrease from 11 July onwards.
Which UP districts are under red alert for heavy rain?
Eight districts in Uttar Pradesh are under a red alert: Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Moradabad, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Badaun, Sambhal, and Jyotiba Phule Nagar. A red alert indicates the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall.
When did the Southwest Monsoon cover the entire country in 2025?
The Southwest Monsoon covered all of India on 9 July 2025, just one day later than its normal expected date of 8 July, completing its seasonal advance across the country.
How was Delhi-NCR affected by recent heavy rain?
Over the past two days, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram experienced severe waterlogging and major traffic disruptions. Several private companies in Gurugram advised employees to work from home due to the gridlock.
Is Mumbai rain expected to ease?
Yes, rainfall activity in Mumbai and most of Maharashtra is expected to weaken on 10 July, with only light showers forecast across the state. However, orange alerts remain for Pune and Satara, and yellow alerts are in effect for several other districts.
