Dark clouds gather over Delhi on June 13 as a western disturbance triggers a yellow alert for thunderstorms and gusty winds across the capital. (Photo: PTI)

Will it rain in Delhi today? IMD issues yellow alert. Here's what to expect

Delhi may see thunderstorms, gusty winds and brief rain this afternoon under a yellow alert. The spell is linked to a western disturbance and offers only temporary relief from the capital's June heat.

by · India Today

In Short

  • IMD yellow alert warns of thunderstorms and 60 kmph gusts in Delhi.
  • Rain probability rises to 40 per cent by 4:30 pm IST this afternoon.
  • A western disturbance, not the monsoon, is behind today's wet spell.

It has been a sweaty, suffocating June in Delhi. So when dark clouds rolled in overnight and gusty winds rattled windows across the capital, everyone asked the same question: is it actually going to rain today?

The short answer is: maybe. But here is the longer, more honest one.

WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?

As of the morning of June 13, Delhi is sitting at 33 degrees Celsius with humidity around 51 per cent, which pushes the feels-like temperature to a sticky 37 degrees Celsius. The sky is partly cloudy, winds are light, and the immediate chance of rain is just 15 per cent.

So no, it is not raining right now. But the afternoon is a different story.

WILL IT RAIN LATER TODAY?

The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for Delhi-NCR, warning of thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching 40 to 50 kmph, with peak gusts up to 60 kmph, likely during the afternoon and evening.

A hazy, cloudy Delhi morning where humidity is already pushing the feels-like temperature well above what the thermometer reads. (Photo: PTI)

Predictive models put the chance of scattered thundershowers at 35 per cent by 3:30 pm IST, rising to 40 per cent by 4:30 pm IST.

The day's maximum temperature is capped at around 34 degrees Celsius, noticeably lower than Delhi's brutal mid-June average, largely because cloud cover and overnight rain on June 12 have already cooled things down.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

This is not the monsoon. Not yet.

The rain is being triggered by a western disturbance, a storm system that originates over the Mediterranean Sea, travels eastward, and carries moisture into northwest India. Think of it as an uninvited guest from Europe that occasionally drops by and drenches the capital. It has nothing to do with the southwest monsoon, which is still advancing through eastern India.

The western disturbance is causing what meteorologists call convective instability. Warm, moist air near the ground rises rapidly, cools, and forms towering thunderclouds. These clouds bring lightning, sudden gusty winds called downbursts, and short but intense spells of rain.

SHOULD YOU CARRY AN UMBRELLA?

Yes, especially if you are stepping out after 3 pm. The rain, if it arrives, is unlikely to last long, but the gusty winds and lightning could cause disruptions. The IMD yellow alert means conditions are worth watching, not panicking over.

By night, the skies are expected to clear, with the temperature dropping to around 27 degrees Celsius and the rain probability falling back to 10 per cent.

ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND

This spell of relief is temporary. The IMD has forecast a below-normal monsoon for the June-to-September season, roughly 90 per cent of the historical average, partly due to El Nino.

El Nino is a periodic warming of the central Pacific Ocean that tends to suppress rainfall over South Asia. So while today might bring a welcome shower, the summer is not done with Delhi just yet.

- Ends