Storm alert for East, Northeast India; Delhi gets breather after duststorm havoc

Delhi residents experienced a much-needed break from the searing heat on Saturday after a powerful duststorm and intermittent rain lashed the region a day earlier.

Several states in eastern and northeastern India are bracing for a spell of turbulent weather on Sunday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and gusty winds across the region.

Parts of Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha may be particularly affected, with wind speeds expected to touch 50–60 kmph in isolated areas, accompanied by lightning and moderate to heavy showers.

The alert also extends to Jharkhand, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, where thunderstorms and scattered rainfall are expected. Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim are also likely to witness lightning and gusty winds ranging between 30–40 kmph.

In the Northeast, Assam and Meghalaya are forecast to receive heavy rainfall, while Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura remain on high alert for thunderstorms and lightning strikes. The IMD has advised caution for residents and commuters in all affected regions.

Further south, states like Maharashtra, Kerala, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka are also expected to witness thunderstorm activity. Meanwhile, heatwave-like conditions may persist in pockets of coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam.

Meanwhile, back in the national capital, Delhi residents experienced a much-needed break from the searing heat on Saturday after a powerful duststorm and intermittent rain lashed the region a day earlier. The IMD reported a maximum temperature of 35.2 degrees Celsius - just under the seasonal average -while the minimum dipped to 19 degrees Celsius, about two notches below normal.

Some localities saw even more noticeable cooling, with Rajghat recording a high of 32.2 degrees Celsius and Najafgarh registering 33.5 degrees Celsius. The Ridge area clocked the lowest minimum temperature at 17.6 degrees Celsius.

The weather is expected to remain mild on Sunday, with the maximum temperature ranging between 36–38 degrees Celsius and the minimum between 19–21 degrees Celsius . Skies over Delhi-NCR are likely to stay partly cloudy, and no heatwave conditions are forecast until Tuesday.