Another round of rain and thunderstorms has hit large parts of northern India, turning what should feel like early summer into cool and cloudy weather. Skies remained active overnight, with fresh showers and gusty winds affecting many areas.
Weather forecasts had warned on April 7 that more rain and thundershowers were likely overnight in Delhi-NCR, Haryana, and north Rajasthan. Additionally, storms are expected to continue through the evening of April 8 across Chandigarh, Punjab, and northwest Uttar Pradesh.
While the rain brought much-needed relief from the rising April heat in cities, it kept the skies overcast and temperatures noticeably lower than usual for this time of year.
This spell of rain and winds is part of an active western disturbance moving across the region.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued alerts for scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching 40–50 kmph over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Rajasthan on April 7 and even today, April 8.
Furthermore, isolated hail is also possible in some places.
In Delhi-NCR, the showers led to cooler conditions, with daytime temperatures dropping into the lower 20s degrees Celsius in many spots on April 7.
Declining temperatures were also seen in Haryana and Punjab, where maximum temperatures stayed well below normal April levels.
The weather is expected to remain unsettled through the evening of April 8 in the affected regions. However, improvement is likely to begin from late April 8 onwards, with clearer skies and drier conditions returning gradually in most places by April 9 or April 10.
This kind of unseasonal April weather has been seen a few times this season, with repeated western disturbances bringing clouds, rain, and occasional hail.
Such systems often bring a sudden break from the heat but can also lead to strong winds and lightning, so people are advised to stay safe and avoid open areas during thunderstorms.
As the day progresses on April 8, residents in northern India can expect more clouds and possible showers in the afternoon and evening in some areas. The IMD is continuing to track the system closely and will issue updates and advisories accordingly.
While the system persists, the cooler climate should be enjoyed because temperatures are expected to climb significantly by the end of the month.
