North India hit by rain, hailstorm today as Western Disturbance peaks
A powerful Western Disturbance is battering north India today with hailstorms, thunderstorms, and winds gusting up to 70 kilometres per hour, as IMD issues orange alerts for Rajasthan, Bihar, and Jharkhand.
North India is under the grip of a fresh Western Disturbance, triggering widespread rain, thunderstorms, and hailstorms across Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. The spell of bad weather will continue through April 10.
Since late Monday night, short spells of rain have been reported across Delhi-NCR, leading to a dip in temperatures and a noticeable improvement in air quality. The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for the national capital for Tuesday and Wednesday, warning of continued light rain spells accompanied by gusty winds.
Besides, after building over the past 48 hours, the system has intensified. Rajasthan experienced scattered thunderstorms and gusty winds on Monday evening, but today the disturbance reaches its peak.
The IMD warns of severe weather across the region: hail and gusty winds of 30–60 km/h in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, gusts up to 70 km/h in West Rajasthan, and thunderstorms with winds of 30–50 km/h across Punjab, Haryana, and East Rajasthan. Residents are advised to stay alert as the storm system sweeps across North India.
Also, short spells of rain and gusty winds are expected to persist across Delhi through the next two days. The change in weather has brought relief to residents from the early April heat and poor air quality. With winds continuing over the coming days, air quality levels are expected to remain under control.
WHAT IS A WESTERN DISTURBANCE AND WHY IS THIS ONE SO ACTIVE?
A Western Disturbance is an extratropical low-pressure system, meaning it forms outside the tropics, typically over the Mediterranean Sea, and travels eastward carrying moisture. These systems bring north India its winter rainfall.
What makes this April disturbance particularly aggressive is what is feeding it. Moisture from the Arabian Sea has triggered a secondary circulation over Rajasthan, thickening cloud cover and amplifying the main system's intensity well beyond what is typical for this time of year.
HOW BAD WILL TODAY AND TOMORROW BE?
Today is the first of two peak days. Mount Abu, Fatehpur, Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer are among the areas likely to witness violent thunderstorms, hailstorms, and heavy rainfall.
An orange alert has been issued for Bihar, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan, while a yellow alert covers Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana.
In eastern India, Kolkata and south Bengal are bracing for KalBaishakhi, or Nor'westers. These are fierce squall-line thunderstorms that form when cool, dry northwesterly air from the Western Disturbance smashes into warm, moist air from the Bay of Bengal.
HOW SHARP IS THE TEMPERATURE DROP?
Thunderstorms gusting up to 70 kilometres per hour are likely over parts of northwest and east India today and tomorrow. According to IMD's Delhi forecast, the capital's maximum temperature is expected to fall to between 28 and 30 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, which is markedly below normal.
Across Punjab and Chandigarh, daytime highs could drop to between 18 and 23 degrees Celsius, a departure of 8 to 15 degrees Celsius from normal. Today, April is briefly feeling like February.
HOW WILL FARMERS BE AFFECTED?
Hailstorms are the primary driver of crop losses, and they are forecast over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan today and tomorrow.
The Union Agriculture Minister has already taken cognisance of damage from previous spells this season and directed a comprehensive review of crop losses.
IMD is urging farmers to harvest matured crops immediately, deploy hail nets in orchards, and move produce to safer locations without delay. Conditions are expected to ease from April 9, with temperatures set to rise sharply after April 15.
One larger concern is building quietly. Early projections from coupled climate models suggest the all-India monsoon for June to September 2026 may be below normal, potentially linked to the lingering effects of a Super El Nio.