Rain brings relief from scorching heat in Delhi; ‘red’ alert for thunderstorm, hailstorm

After days of sweltering heatwave conditions, people in Delhi enjoyed the respite on Thursday (May 28, 2026) as heavy rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds swept parts of the national capital, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a red alert for the next few hours.

The IMD warned of moderate to severe thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, duststorms and isolated hailstorms at many places across the city, with wind speeds likely to reach 80 kilometres per hour.

The weather office said the current spell of rain and thunderstorm activity is expected to continue till May 31.

The change in weather comes after several days of intense heat during which temperatures crossed the 45 degrees Celsius mark at various stations in Delhi. According to IMD data, maximum temperatures across the city on Thursday (May 28, 2026) fell by around 3 to 5 degrees Celsius compared to the previous day.

Delhi also recorded below-normal maximum temperatures across major weather stations on Thursday (May 28, 2026), the IMD said.

“Thunderstorm activity has already begun over northern parts of Rajasthan and is expected to spread to Delhi by evening and continue through the night,” said Mahesh Palawat, Skymet Weather.

He said the intensity of the storms is likely to increase on Friday (May 29, 2026) and the spell is expected to continue till May 30, after which the weather system is likely to shift towards Gujarat between May 30 and 31.

“The current spell of pre-monsoon rains is likely to be stronger than the pre-monsoon showers witnessed in Delhi earlier this month and in April, leading to widespread rainfall activity across the city,” Mr. Palawat said.

He attributed the weather activity to a western disturbance over the hills, an induced cyclonic circulation over Rajasthan and adjoining areas, along with humid winds from the Bay of Bengal that have increased moisture levels over the city.