Top News

A sudden hailstorm swept across parts of Delhi on Tuesday evening, catching many residents off guard and offering a sharp, much-needed break from the intense early summer heat. Areas including Dwarka reported heavy hail along with steady rainfall, with videos quickly spreading across social media showing streets turning white under a layer of ice pellets.

The change in weather comes after days of relentless heat, with temperatures earlier hovering above 40°C. By evening, rain-cooled winds and cloud cover pushed temperatures down significantly, extending relief for the national capital.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier issued an orange alert for several parts of Delhi, warning of moderate thunderstorms, rainfall, gusty winds, and the possibility of hailstorms. The alert covered New Delhi, Central, West, North West, Outer North, North East, Shahdara, and East Delhi, along with parts of South and South West Delhi.

Cloud activity had already begun building through the day, with intermittent overcast conditions since morning. By evening, the system intensified, leading to hail and strong winds in multiple pockets of the city.

According to the IMD, Delhi’s maximum temperature on Tuesday was expected to settle around 32 to 33 degrees Celsius, nearly seven degrees below the seasonal average. However, high humidity levels, reaching close to 90 percent during the day, made conditions uncomfortable before the rain arrived.

Earlier in the day, the IMD had issued a yellow alert for Delhi-NCR, attributing the weather shift to a fresh western disturbance impacting northwest India. The system is expected to continue influencing weather patterns over the next few days.

Residents have been advised to remain cautious, especially during evening hours, as gusty winds ranging between 40 to 50 kmph, and occasionally touching 60 kmph, may lead to traffic disruptions and localized damage.

Looking ahead, another wet spell is likely around May 10 and 11, with forecasts indicating light to moderate rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds across Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Beyond Delhi, weather activity is expected to remain widespread across the country. Northern states may see thunderstorms and isolated hailstorms, while eastern regions including Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal are likely to experience rain accompanied by strong winds and lightning. Southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu and Kerala, are expected to receive consistent rainfall over the coming week.

While the current spell has brought temporary relief, forecasters warn that temperatures across northwest India are expected to rise again gradually after May 9. Heatwave conditions may return in isolated pockets, particularly over parts of Rajasthan.

For now, however, Delhi is enjoying a brief pause from the heat, with cooler evenings and rain-washed skies offering a welcome change in early May.