The kind of sudden squall that hit the capital on June 28, 2026, is what has the IMD sounding an orange alert. We are told to expect a light thunder or two, some lightning and wind over the next couple of hours. It’s a small break from 41 to 43 degree days, though you have to be a bit more careful with your safety for a while.
If you’ve seen the clips from Barakhamba Road or the National Police Memorial, you know the winds were up and there was a nice change in the air this evening. It’s a reminder of how fast it can turn in the city.
What is happening right now
According to a 3.30 pm note from the IMD, you can count on some light rain and a thunderstorm, with 40 to 60 kmph winds, in the next two hours or so.
A few minutes later, at 4.10, the district nowcast put parts of Delhi on an orange watch for a moderate storm. They’re also looking at 50-70 kmph gusts and some rain across the NCR, and the same for Haryana, UP and Rajasthan for the time being.
On the map, most of Delhi is in the orange zone, pointing to a decent chance of a thunderstorm with lightning by 7:10 pm IST.
Why it matters
The IMD has a colour code for risk. Green is fine, yellow is a heads-up, red is when you need to act. Orange is in between – no need to panic, but it means you should head inside, put away anything that isn’t tied down and keep an eye on the wind and rain.
What is driving the storm
It’s the lull between the pre-monsoon swelter and the southwest monsoon. We’ve had 41 to 43 degree days of late, which puts enough energy in the air to fuel a storm. Add in some moisture from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea and you have the makings of something.
Then a western disturbance comes in and you get cumulonimbus clouds going up 10 kilometres or more. It’s your typical end-of-June Delhi affair: hard and fast, and for a while, a very welcome way to cool off.
How forecasters are tracking it
They use Doppler radar to see what’s in the clouds. The colours on the screen are reflectivity, or dBZ. You’ll see blue for a drizzle, and yellows and oranges where the updraughts are really working and the rain is heavier.
When you feel the wind, it’s often cool air coming down from the cloud and hugging the ground. And the lightning? That’s just ice and soft hail rubbing together in the cloud until the charge lets go.
Safety and the road ahead
There are some easy things to do to stay out of trouble with the wind and lightning. The authorities don’t want you to worry, but they do want you to be ready. A few to think about:
– Put any loose things on the roof or balcony away
– If the wind is up and there’s lightning, make yourself at home indoors
– Don’t stand under a tree in a storm
– Keep an ear to the ground for what the IMD says
We are still in wait for the monsoon. The IMD has put in a word that we can have some isolated storms and wind in Delhi and the neighbouring states in the days to come as the monsoon makes its way into the northwest. Best to check the advisories before you plan to be out in the evening.
