Severe rain and 70 kmph winds are likely in Delhi NCR between 2 PM and 11 PM today. (Photo: Reuters)

1000-km cloud band stretching over Delhi NCR: Severe hail and rain alert issued

North and Central India will face severe hailstorms and intense rain today. Learn the science behind the Western Disturbance affecting Delhi NCR and Rajasthan.

by · India Today

In Short

  • IMD issues yellow alert for Delhi NCR with hail possible today
  • Severe rain and 70 kmph winds likely between 2 PM and 11 PM today.
  • Thunderstorms to hit Jhansi Gwalior and West UP on Sunday evening.

A massive atmospheric tug of war is playing out over North and Central India today.

A powerful Western Disturbance has effectively hijacked the spring weather, replacing the early April warmth with a volatile cocktail of thundersqualls, intense rain and ice.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Delhi NCR, as a 1,000-kilometre cloud band stretches across the region, turning the afternoon sky into a dark, wintry spectacle.

WHAT IS TRIGGERING THIS UNSEASONAL RAIN?

The culprit is a particularly aggressive Western Disturbance. Think of it as a massive, moisture-laden conveyor belt originating from the Mediterranean.

As it travels toward India, it interacts with warm, rising air from the plains. This creates what scientists call pre-monsoon convective activity.

North India is on a weather high alert this Saturday. A massive Western Disturbance is bringing severe hail and 70 kmph thundersqualls. (Photo: X/@navdeepdahiya55)

When the Sun heats the ground, warm air rises rapidly. If it meets the cold, moist air of a Western Disturbance, it condenses into towering cumulonimbus clouds.

These clouds are atmospheric engines that produce sudden, violent bursts of rain.

The structure of this specific system is rare, spanning thousands of kilometres in a straight line, which explains the widespread chaos we are seeing today.

WHICH REGIONS ARE UNDER SEVERE THREAT THIS SATURDAY?

The most dangerous window for this weather drama is between 2 PM and 11 PM today.

Severe hailstorms and intense rain are likely across Madhya Pradesh, east Rajasthan, West Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi-NCR.

The system is also reaching down into East and central Maharashtra.

Severe rain, hail and thundersqualls are likely in Delhi NCR today. (Photo: Reuters)

In Delhi-NCR and Haryana, thundersqualls could strike anytime until late tonight.

A thundersquall is a sudden, violent increase in wind speed that lasts for several minutes. We are looking at gusts reaching 60 to 70 kilometres per hour.

These winds are strong enough to damage temporary structures and flatten standing crops, which is why the IMD has urged residents to remain watchful.

WHY IS HAIL FALLING IN APRIL?

Hail is the most destructive byproduct of these intense spring storms.

Inside the massive thunderclouds, powerful updrafts, which are currents of rising air, push water droplets high into the freezing layers of the atmosphere.

These droplets freeze into ice pellets. They are tossed up and down, gathering layers of ice like an onion, until they become too heavy for the wind to hold.

Several regions of India have been hit by unseasonal hail in April. (Photo: Reuters)

While the rain brings a welcome dip in temperature of about 5 degrees Celsius, the ice is bad news for farmers.

This unseasonal activity has already caused significant crop damage in Rajasthan and Haryana.

Looking ahead, the instability will shift on Sunday, with Jhansi, Gwalior and North Madhya Pradesh expected to face serious thunderstorms by tomorrow evening.

- Ends