Schools status in Delhi-NCR amid rain: Advisory and alerts

By SarhindTimes Education & Weather Desk | New Delhi
Date: October 9, 2025

Following a night of heavy rain and gusty winds across the National Capital Region, parents woke up to uncertainty on Wednesday morning — checking messages, school apps, and social-media groups for any word on closures or online class transitions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) maintained an orange alert for Delhi-NCR, warning of thunderstorms, lightning, and squally winds up to 45 km/h. While no blanket order was issued for school closures, authorities urged caution during commutes and advised monitoring official updates rather than viral forwards.

1. Morning Confusion Across NCR Campuses

By dawn, WhatsApp groups of parents in Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, and South Delhi buzzed with questions: “Is school open today?”

Heavy overnight rain had left potholes water-filled, drains overflowing, and roads slick, especially along key stretches such as NH-48, Barapullah, and the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.

While most private schools in Delhi and Gurugram remained open, several institutions in Ghaziabad and Noida opted for delayed reporting times or temporary hybrid classes until weather improved.

“We decided to start at 9:30 a.m. instead of 8:00 a.m. because many school buses were delayed due to traffic jams,”
said Rachna Mathur, principal of Lotus Valley International School, Noida.

In Delhi, the Directorate of Education (DoE) clarified that no general closure had been declared. However, heads of schools were authorized to make local adjustments based on ground conditions.

2. IMD’s Orange Alert: What It Means

An orange alert signifies that citizens and local agencies should “be prepared” for impactful weather — including thunderstorms, heavy showers, lightning, and temporary traffic disruptions.

According to IMD scientist R.K. Jenamani,

“Delhi-NCR experienced 20–35 mm rainfall overnight. The alert continues till Wednesday evening for gusty winds around 40–45 km/h. A drying trend will begin by Thursday.”

Regional Impact Snapshot

Delhi: 18–30 mm rain overnight, visibility dipped to 500 m at Palam.
Noida: Strong winds around Sector 62, minor power outages in blocks F and G.
Gurugram: Waterlogging in DLF Phase 3 and near IFFCO Chowk.
Ghaziabad: Tree-falls reported along NH-9 service roads.

3. Safety First: Administration Urges Caution

The Delhi Traffic Police issued an early-morning advisory warning of “slippery roads, poor visibility, and scattered waterlogging.”
Parents ferrying children to schools were asked to:

Avoid flooded underpasses such as Moolchand and Pul Prahladpur;
Reduce speed and maintain safe distance;
Use headlights even during daylight when visibility drops;
Check bus-route updates before departure.

“Our teams are stationed at key intersections to manage congestion,”
said DCP (Traffic-HQ) Ankit Singh.
“Parents should factor in an extra 30 minutes for school runs.”

4. Schools’ Response: Hybrid and Online Adjustments

Several CBSE-affiliated schools adopted flexible arrangements:

Heritage School, Rohini: shifted first two periods online; physical attendance resumed by 11 a.m.
Amity International, Noida: continued regular classes but relaxed late-arrival penalties.
DPS, Ghaziabad: asked parents of kindergarten students to keep children home if roads were unsafe.
G.D. Goenka, Gurugram: informed parents through app notifications of “possible early dispersal if showers persist.”

Education experts praised the institutional autonomy model that allows campus-wise decisions instead of a blanket government order.

“Every zone has unique conditions,”
said Dr. Pratibha Rani, former education officer, Delhi DoE.
“What matters is timely, transparent communication to parents.”

5. Municipal Action: Clearing Drains and Restoring Traffic

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Noida Authority, and Gurugram Municipal Corporation (MCG) activated emergency teams overnight.
By Wednesday morning, pumps were deployed to clear water near AIIMS flyover, Anand Vihar, and Golf Course Road.

MCD Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti said:

“We’ve mobilized 56 pumps and 1,200 workers to clear choke points. Schools located near low-lying drains are being prioritized.”

Civic engineers blamed plastic waste for blocking drain inlets and called for renewed community awareness drives.

6. Voices from Parents

For working parents, the uncertainty was as exhausting as the rain.

“I kept refreshing the school app till 7:30 a.m.,” said Sonia Mehta, a parent in Mayur Vihar.
“With remote work meetings, bus delays, and flooded roads, mornings become chaos.”

In Noida Sector 77, father Karan Batra drove his son halfway to school before receiving a message about a two-hour delay.

“Schools should decide by night, not morning,” he said.

Parent-teacher associations (PTAs) echoed similar demands for standardized protocols during weather alerts.

7. Coordination Gaps: Lessons from Tuesday’s Chaos

Tuesday’s downpour had already caused traffic snarls across NH-8 and Ring Road, leaving buses stranded for hours.
Education officials admitted that contingency communication remains patchy.

“Most schools depend on WhatsApp or SMS chains, which can crash during network congestion,”
noted an IT coordinator at a South Delhi school.

Experts suggest adopting cloud-based alert dashboards, synchronized with IMD and traffic feeds, for real-time dissemination.

8. The Weather Office: Outlook for the Week

IMD predicts a gradual drying trend mid-week, with maximum temperatures rising from 29 °C on Wednesday to 33–34 °C by Saturday.
Relative humidity will remain around 70–80 % until Thursday.

Forecast Summary

Date	Weather	Max Temp	Advisory
Wed (Oct 9)	Thunderstorms, squally winds	29 °C	Orange alert
Thu (Oct 10)	Cloudy, scattered showers	31 °C	Yellow alert
Fri–Sat	Mostly clear	33–34 °C	No alert

“Relief from rain is near,”
said IMD scientist Dr. Naresh Kumar,
“but residents should remain alert through Wednesday evening.”

9. How Rain Affects Learning and Attendance

Weather-related uncertainty often translates into reduced attendance and lost classroom time.
A survey by the Delhi Parents Forum (DPF) found that 72 % of parents prefer online classes during severe rain warnings.

Educationists, however, warn against over-reliance on digital substitutes.

“Physical schooling is critical for routine and social learning,”
argued Prof. Ranjana Bhatia from NCERT.
“The solution is not to go digital at every drizzle, but to improve infrastructure so children can travel safely.”

10. Infrastructure Challenges Around Schools

Many Delhi-NCR schools still face inadequate drainage, broken pavements, and open electrical cables — hazards magnified during heavy rain.
The Public Works Department (PWD) has been mapping vulnerable zones for retrofitting.

In Gurgaon, the Deputy Commissioner’s office has ordered spot inspections near Sector 56–57 schools where knee-deep water was reported.

“Safety around school perimeters is as vital as classrooms,”
said Arun Mishra, senior engineer, MCG.

11. Communication Protocols: Need for a Standard Playbook

Delhi’s Directorate of Education last updated its weather-emergency circular in 2022, mainly for heatwaves.
Experts now urge extending it to include rain, storms, and air-quality triggers.

The proposed framework includes:

Evening assessment based on IMD alerts;
Centralized SMS/Email broadcast to parents by 9 p.m.;
Local flexibility for physical vs. online switch;
Periodic mock drills for school-transport coordination.

Education consultant Dr. Meenakshi Sharma emphasized:

“Preparedness must replace panic. The technology already exists; it just needs policy backing.”

12. Psychological Impact on Children

Frequent weather-related disruptions can unsettle young learners.
Child psychologists note spikes in anxiety and irregular sleep among students when schedules change abruptly.

“Predictability builds confidence,”
explained Dr. Rachita Singh, a child-behavior therapist.
“Schools should pre-inform children of alternate plans so they feel secure.”

Several schools have begun incorporating weather-education modules into environmental-studies classes, teaching students about climate patterns and safety practices.

13. Technology Steps In: Smart Alerts & GIS Maps

Smart-city initiatives in Delhi and Noida are exploring real-time school-route weather mapping using GIS sensors and IMD data.
An experimental app by Noida Authority sends localized rainfall and traffic alerts to registered institutions.

“If scaled city-wide, it could automatically update parents about safe bus timings,”
said Ankit Gupta, civic-tech entrepreneur.

Such tools could transform how schools respond to dynamic weather events, ensuring continuity without chaos.

14. Voices from the Ground: Students React

For many students, rain means excitement — and occasionally disappointment.

“We were hoping for a holiday,” laughed Aanya Verma, Class 8, DPS Noida.
“But then our teachers said online class, so no escape!”

Others cherished the cooler weather.

“After all the heat, today felt like Shimla,” said Rohit Kumar, Class 10, Bluebells School.

Yet older students expressed concern about missed pre-board revisions if disruptions continue.

15. Editorial Insight: The New Normal of Weather-Responsive Schooling

Delhi-NCR’s changing climate demands institutional adaptability.
With erratic monsoons, early heatwaves, and now autumn thunderstorms, schooling must evolve from fixed calendars to resilient systems.

This means investment in:

Weather-proof infrastructure;
Dynamic digital backup plans;
Localized forecasting for school zones;
Collaboration between education and environment departments.

Rain need not paralyze the city if response mechanisms are intelligent and inclusive.

16. The Road Ahead

Authorities confirmed that all Delhi-NCR schools will function normally from Thursday unless fresh alerts are issued.
The orange alert is expected to downgrade to yellow by late Wednesday evening.

Parents are advised to follow verified updates from: