The India Meteorological Department has issued multiple orange alerts across parts of India as extreme heat in the northwest gives way to thunderstorms, gusty winds and rainfall activity in several regions.
New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh and parts of Andhra Pradesh as unstable weather conditions continue to affect large parts of the country. The alert comes amid a sharp contrast in weather patterns, with extreme heat persisting in some regions while thunderstorms and rainfall begin to build in others.
In Rajasthan, Jaisalmer recorded a peak temperature of 44.4°C, marking one of the highest readings in recent days. Despite this intense heat, the IMD has forecast a gradual shift in weather conditions across northwest India, with temperatures expected to fall by 2°C to 3°C over the coming days due to an active western disturbance.
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According to the IMD, several states are likely to experience thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds between 30–60 kmph. Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan and parts of Uttar Pradesh are expected to see scattered to fairly widespread rainfall between 3 May and 7 May. Similar conditions are likely in eastern Uttar Pradesh and adjoining regions later in the week.
In eastern and northeastern India, the weather office has predicted fairly widespread rainfall across Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and the northeastern states, including Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. Isolated heavy rainfall is also expected in these regions until 4 May.
The IMD has further warned of potential hailstorm activity in parts of the western Himalayan region and adjoining plains of northwest and central India. Strong thundersqualls with wind speeds reaching up to 70 kmph are also likely over West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar on specific days between 4 and 6 May.
Central India, including Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, is also expected to experience intermittent light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning until 7 May.
Coastal regions of Odisha, West Bengal and parts of the Bay of Bengal have been placed under a fishermen advisory, with warnings against venturing into sea areas due to rough weather conditions.
Meanwhile, Delhi is witnessing a noticeable change in weather patterns, with the IMD issuing a yellow alert for rain and thunderstorms on 3 and 4 May. The capital is expected to see partly cloudy skies, light rainfall and gusty winds reaching up to 50 kmph. Temperatures are likely to remain below 38°C, offering relief from earlier heatwave conditions.
Overall, the IMD has indicated a mixed weather phase across India, with heatwaves persisting in isolated pockets while large parts of the country transition into stormy and rainy conditions driven by western disturbances.
Published: 03 May 2026, 07:37 am IST
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