New Delhi: Dust storms followed by rain and thunderstorms swept across Delhi-NCR on Wednesday, bringing relief from a prolonged heatwave that had pushed temperatures up to 44.5 degrees Celsius earlier this week.
The sudden shift in weather was attributed to a western disturbance, leading to dark clouds, gusty winds of 30-40 kmph and a sharp drop in temperature within hours. The maximum temperature, earlier forecast at around 41 degrees Celsius, is now expected to remain near 38 degrees Celsius.
Morning vibes at India Gate as Delhi welcomes rain, cool winds, and a refreshing change #IndiaGate #DelhiRains #WeatherChange #MonsoonVibes #CoolBreeze #RainyDay #DelhiWeather pic.twitter.com/GEK1jPOzhs
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) April 29, 2026
The India Meteorological Department had issued a yellow alert for the region.
According to the Regional Weather Forecast Centre, light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning is likely across Delhi and adjoining areas, including parts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Wind speeds in Punjab and Haryana may reach up to 60 kmph, with temperatures expected to fall by 2-4 degrees Celsius over the next three days.
IMD scientist Akhil Srivastava said similar weather activity is likely across northern India, including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, with warnings for thunderstorms and hail.
An orange alert has also been issued for Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand, while northeastern states are expected to receive heavy rainfall over the coming week.
Delhi’s air quality remained in the “poor” category, with an AQI of 260, although the rain brought some improvement in pollution levels.
