IMD issues severe thunderstorm and lightning warning across 8 states

NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a widespread weather alert for severe thunderstorms, lightning strikes, hailstorms, and heavy rainfall across several regions in India. Residents in the affected areas have been advised to take precautions and avoid non-essential travel.
In a post on X, the IMD warned of a dangerous weather system extending from East Rajasthan through West and East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, and heading towards Gangetic West Bengal.
The department mentioned the likelihood of "severe thunderstorms with dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning" along with the possibility of hailstorms across the region.
The IMD has also flagged the likelihood of strong winds reaching 50–60 kmph along with thunderstorms over Assam & Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, South Interior Karnataka, and Uttarakhand.
Gusty winds between 40–50 kmph are also expected at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim.
Hailstorm warnings have been issued for isolated areas in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand.
Heavy rainfall is likely to hit isolated locations in Odisha and South Interior Karnataka.
From Vidarbha, IMD’s Nagpur office has issued warnings for thunderstorms with hail and lightning, gusty winds (40–50 kmph), and light rain in Gondia, Bhandara, Nagpur, and Wardha. Amravati, Yavatmal, Washim, and Chandrapur districts may also see thunderstorms with lightning, gusty winds (30–40 kmph), and light rain.

Meanwhile, Delhi is also set to see a brief spell of rain, thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds on Saturday evening, with wind speeds reaching 40-50 kmph, the IMD said. A yellow alert is in place for several areas including Dwarka, IGI Airport, Mehrauli, and parts of NCR like Gurugram and Faridabad. Residents are advised to stay indoors and avoid trees, water bodies, and electronic appliances. Saturday’s maximum temperature was 35°C, 4.3°C below normal, and the minimum was 22.2°C. Rain and thunderstorms are also likely on Sunday.
Delhi recorded 78 mm of rainfall till 8:30 am on Friday—its second-highest 24-hour May total since 1901. Lodhi Road reported the highest with 78 mm, just ahead of Safdarjung’s 77 mm.