Heavy rain, thunderstorms and hail hit the Delhi-NCR region on Monday, prompting the India Meteorological Department to issue weather alerts [1].

The sudden shift in weather provides critical relief to residents who had been facing a period of scorching heat before the storms arrived [5].

The weather event affected several areas across the National Capital Region, including Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram [5]. According to reports, wind speeds reached up to 80 km/h [1], accompanying the heavy precipitation and hail. The India Meteorological Department issued alerts to warn the public of the severe conditions, though reports on the alert level varied between a red alert [1], an orange alert [4], and a yellow alert [3].

These conditions caused a significant drop in temperature, with forecasts indicating that temperatures would stay below 30°C [1]. The sudden cooling is attributed to a western disturbance moving across northern India, which brought cooler air into the region [1, 5].

While the rain provided a respite from the heat, the intensity of the winds and the presence of hail created hazardous conditions for commuters and residents. Local authorities monitored the situation as the storms swept through the metropolitan area — a region prone to extreme temperature swings during the transition to summer.

“Wind speeds reached up to 80 km/h”

The arrival of a western disturbance during the early May heatwave demonstrates the volatility of northern India's pre-monsoon weather patterns. While these systems provide necessary cooling and temporary relief from extreme heat, the accompanying high wind speeds and hail can cause immediate infrastructure damage and disrupt urban logistics in densely populated areas like Delhi-NCR.