SUMMARY

Residents of Delhi and the National Capital Region may get some relief from the intense summer heat over the next two days, with the India Meteorological Department forecasting light to moderate rain, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds across the region on Saturday. Delhi is likely to see partly cloudy skies during the day, followed by light rain or thundershowers in the afternoon and evening. Winds are expected to blow at 40-50 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 60 kmph in some areas.

The weather office said there is unlikely to be any major change in daytime temperatures over the next 24 hours, though the minimum temperature may dip slightly before rising again. The maximum temperature is expected to stay between 37 and 39 degrees Celsius, while the minimum is likely to be between 25 and 27 degrees Celsius. The IMD said intermittent showers, cloudy skies and occasional thunderstorms are likely to continue in Delhi-NCR till Sunday, with cloud cover and moisture-laden winds expected to make daytime conditions relatively comfortable.

Meteorologists have linked the change in weather to a western disturbance and favourable local weather systems, which are likely to support pre-monsoon rain and thunderstorm activity in Delhi-NCR through June 21. The latest forecast also points to a gradual revival of the southwest monsoon after nearly two weeks of slow progress and below-normal rainfall in several parts of the country.

According to the IMD, rain-bearing systems are expected to strengthen over Central India in the coming days, improving rainfall activity in areas that have been waiting for widespread monsoon showers. Isolated to scattered rainfall is likely over Chhattisgarh, East Madhya Pradesh, West Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha between June 19 and June 25. Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds are also forecast in these regions, with winds of 40-50 kmph and gusts up to 60 kmph in places. Parts of Madhya Pradesh have also been warned of thundersqualls with wind speeds of 50-60 kmph, gusting to 70 kmph.

The Meteorological Department has also issued a weather alert for 19 states, warning of rain, thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds over the next several hours, with wind speeds reaching 50-70 kmph in some places. Heavy rainfall has been forecast for Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim over the next 8 to 48 hours. Southern states, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Lakshadweep, are also expected to receive heavy rain in the coming days.

Despite the expected change in weather, Delhi's air quality remained in the poor category at several monitoring stations. Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 223 and IIT Delhi 203, while Pusa, Wazirpur, Dwarka Sector-8, Vivek Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Sonia Vihar, Nehru Nagar, Bawana, JNU, Chandni Chowk and DTU also reported elevated levels.

Published on: Jun 20, 2026 2:42 PM IST