Phones buzz with 'extremely severe alert' as rain, thunderstorms batter Delhi-NCR
Millions of mobile phones across Delhi-NCR and parts of western Uttar Pradesh buzzed with an "extremely severe alert" on as rain, thunderstorms and strong winds lashed the region, bringing much-needed respite from the scorching heat.
Millions of mobile phones buzzed across Delhi-NCR and parts of western Uttar Pradesh after users received an "extremely severe alert" message on Saturday evening as rain, thunderstorms and strong winds swept across the region, offering relief from days of intense heat.
The emergency warning, issued in both Hindi and English, flashed on phones with a loud notification tone, cautioning residents about thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail and winds of 60-80 kmph, gusting up to 90 kmph, over the next three hours.
The text on screen, titled ‘Extremely severe alert’, read, “Thunderstorm accompanied by lightning speed (wind speed 60-80 km/h, increasing to 90 km/h) and moderate to heavy rain and hailstorms are likely at some places in your district during the next three hours.”
The alert specifically covered several districts in western Uttar Pradesh, including Aligarh, Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Mathura and Meerut. Residents were advised to remain indoors and avoid open areas during the severe weather conditions.
"Severe thunderstorms (wind speed 60-80 kmph, gusting to 90 kmph), with lightning and moderate and intense spells of rain and hail are very likely to occur at few places in Aligarh, Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Mathura, Meerut in the next three hours," the warning read.
The weather alert message came as several parts of Delhi-NCR witnessed rain and gusty winds, bringing a brief respite from the scorching heat. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) simultaneously placed several areas under a red alert, warning of severe thunderstorms, dust storms, hail and intense rainfall.
According to the IMD, north, northwest, west and southwest Delhi were placed under a red alert, with forecasts of wind speeds reaching up to 100 kmph. Noida was also put under a red warning, while Ghaziabad was placed under an orange alert. Gurugram remained under a yellow warning.
The weather department has predicted that the spell of rain and thunderstorms will continue through the weekend, with light rain and winds of up to 50 kmph likely on Sunday. While the immediate weather system is expected to provide relief from the heat, meteorologists are also keeping an eye on larger climate patterns.
The IMD recently forecast below-normal monsoon rainfall for 2026, at around 90 per cent of the Long Period Average, partly due to developing El Nino conditions in the Pacific Ocean, which are known to influence rainfall patterns across India.
El Nino refers to an unusual warming of the central Pacific that disrupts rainfall patterns globally.
GOVT TESTS NATIONWIDE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM
This is not the first time mobile users have received such emergency alerts.
Earlier, on May 2, millions of phones across the country buzzed and gave out a loud warning tone as part of a nationwide trial of the government's mobile-based disaster alert system. Authorities had clarified that the messages were only for testing purposes and required no action from recipients.
The initiative is being developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to strengthen the country's disaster communication network and enable the rapid dissemination of critical warnings during emergencies.
The Department of Telecom (DoT) has urged people to cooperate during the testing phase, stressing that the alerts are meant solely to validate the system's performance.
Once fully implemented, the platform will be capable of sending emergency warnings in multiple Indian languages to all mobile phones, regardless of handset settings, helping authorities reach a wider population quickly during natural disasters and other crises.
Millions of mobile phones buzzed across Delhi-NCR and parts of western Uttar Pradesh after users received an "extremely severe alert" message on Saturday evening as rain, thunderstorms and strong winds swept across the region, offering relief from days of intense heat.
The emergency warning, issued in both Hindi and English, flashed on phones with a loud notification tone, cautioning residents about thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail and winds of 60-80 kmph, gusting up to 90 kmph, over the next three hours.
The text on screen, titled ‘Extremely severe alert’, read, “Thunderstorm accompanied by lightning speed (wind speed 60-80 km/h, increasing to 90 km/h) and moderate to heavy rain and hailstorms are likely at some places in your district during the next three hours.”
The alert specifically covered several districts in western Uttar Pradesh, including Aligarh, Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Mathura and Meerut. Residents were advised to remain indoors and avoid open areas during the severe weather conditions.
"Severe thunderstorms (wind speed 60-80 kmph, gusting to 90 kmph), with lightning and moderate and intense spells of rain and hail are very likely to occur at few places in Aligarh, Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Mathura, Meerut in the next three hours," the warning read.
The weather alert message came as several parts of Delhi-NCR witnessed rain and gusty winds, bringing a brief respite from the scorching heat. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) simultaneously placed several areas under a red alert, warning of severe thunderstorms, dust storms, hail and intense rainfall.
According to the IMD, north, northwest, west and southwest Delhi were placed under a red alert, with forecasts of wind speeds reaching up to 100 kmph. Noida was also put under a red warning, while Ghaziabad was placed under an orange alert. Gurugram remained under a yellow warning.
The weather department has predicted that the spell of rain and thunderstorms will continue through the weekend, with light rain and winds of up to 50 kmph likely on Sunday. While the immediate weather system is expected to provide relief from the heat, meteorologists are also keeping an eye on larger climate patterns.
The IMD recently forecast below-normal monsoon rainfall for 2026, at around 90 per cent of the Long Period Average, partly due to developing El Nino conditions in the Pacific Ocean, which are known to influence rainfall patterns across India.
El Nino refers to an unusual warming of the central Pacific that disrupts rainfall patterns globally.
GOVT TESTS NATIONWIDE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM
This is not the first time mobile users have received such emergency alerts.
Earlier, on May 2, millions of phones across the country buzzed and gave out a loud warning tone as part of a nationwide trial of the government's mobile-based disaster alert system. Authorities had clarified that the messages were only for testing purposes and required no action from recipients.
The initiative is being developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to strengthen the country's disaster communication network and enable the rapid dissemination of critical warnings during emergencies.
The Department of Telecom (DoT) has urged people to cooperate during the testing phase, stressing that the alerts are meant solely to validate the system's performance.
Once fully implemented, the platform will be capable of sending emergency warnings in multiple Indian languages to all mobile phones, regardless of handset settings, helping authorities reach a wider population quickly during natural disasters and other crises.
