An active western disturbance is expected to affect weather across large areas of north, central, and east India, bringing rain, thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds, and potential hailstorms on April 8. Delhi and surrounding regions will be under the influence of this system, with parts of the Himalayan belt, eastern India, and central India also likely to experience severe weather conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts that daytime temperatures in much of northwest, central, and east India will remain below normal to near normal over the next few days before gradually increasing.
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Delhi, Haryana, and Chandigarh for April 8, warning of thunderstorms, lightning, and hailstorm activity, along with strong winds in isolated areas. In Delhi, the Regional Meteorological Centre predicts a generally cloudy sky with light rain expected during the day. Thunderstorms and lightning are also anticipated, with winds blowing at 30-40 km/h, gusting up to 50 km/h in the morning and again later in the afternoon or evening. Maximum temperatures are expected to range between 25 and 27 degrees Celsius, while minimum temperatures may be between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius.
Rain has already been reported in parts of the national capital and adjacent Noida, with images emerging from locations such as Shanti Path, Vasant Vihar flyover, and Noida Sector 115.
In addition to Delhi-NCR, the weather system is expected to impact a broad area of the country. Light to moderate rain or snowfall, along with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds, is forecasted for Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, with heavy rainfall possible in isolated areas of Himachal Pradesh on April 8. Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and eastern Rajasthan are also likely to see rain accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds.
Hailstorm conditions are anticipated in isolated locations across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand on April 8. In eastern India, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, and Odisha may also experience unsettled weather, with forecasts indicating thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds, and heavy rainfall or hail in some areas. Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are also expected to see storm activity associated with rain, with hail likely in isolated areas of Madhya Pradesh on April 8.
