A dramatic change in weather swept across parts of the country on Thursday as intense thunderstorms brought relief from soaring temperatures in Delhi, while the southwest monsoon continued its advance across southern India.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), conditions remain favourable for the monsoon to move further into Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and northeastern states over the coming days. The changing weather pattern comes as large parts of India transition from extreme summer heat to the monsoon season.
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Thunderstorm triggers sharp temperature drop in Delhi
After recording a daytime temperature of 40.5 degrees Celsius, several parts of Delhi witnessed thunderstorms, rain and strong winds on Thursday evening. Gusts reaching up to 91 kmph brought a rapid decline in temperatures across the national capital.
IMD data showed that Ayanagar recorded the sharpest drop, with temperatures falling from 41 degrees Celsius to 22.7 degrees Celsius. Similar declines were reported from Dadri, Pushp Vihar and Mayur Vihar, while Safdarjung recorded a fall of around 9 degrees Celsius.
The weather department briefly upgraded its warning to a red alert as thunderstorm activity intensified across the region. A yellow alert remained in place for Friday, with forecasts indicating strong surface winds and the possibility of further weather activity.
Monsoon advances, rain alerts issued
The southwest monsoon entered Kerala on Thursday and is expected to cover additional parts of the country in the coming days.
According to the IMD, favourable conditions exist for its advance into more areas of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and the northeastern region.
Kerala continued to receive widespread rainfall after the monsoon's arrival. Most districts in the state remained under orange and yellow alerts for heavy to very heavy rainfall on Friday.
In Maharashtra, Mumbai and neighbouring districts including Thane, Palghar and Pune were placed under a yellow alert for heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds.
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Indore records unusually cool June weather
In central India, Indore experienced one of its coolest starts to June in recent years. Pre-monsoon showers and gusty winds pushed the minimum temperature down to 18.6 degrees Celsius, according to weather data cited by local reports.
The reading was only marginally above the city's six-year June low of 18.4 degrees Celsius recorded in 2020. Several districts in Madhya Pradesh, including Indore, Ujjain, Dewas and Sehore, remained under an orange alert for thunderstorms.
The IMD said weather conditions will continue to evolve rapidly as the monsoon progresses northward. With rainfall activity expected to intensify across multiple regions, authorities have advised residents to remain alert and follow official weather updates.
