Delhi has experienced a shift in its weather after overnight rain lashed the city, bringing a noticeable nip to the air and signalling the early onset of winter. Late-night visuals from key locations, including the Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station and the Jamia Millia Islamia area, showed rain-slicked streets and steady downpours as dark clouds took over the night sky.
The sudden spell of showers has triggered a noticeable drop in temperatures, setting the stage for winter chill to settle over Delhi-NCR. The change has also brought relief on air quality: Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI), which had been above 200 in the Poor category, came down to 133 in the Moderate category by the early morning hours, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
What the forecast says next
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Delhi and adjoining National Capital Region districts, forecasting spells of rain and thunderstorms over the next 24 to 48 hours, followed by clear weather heading into the early part of the coming month. Widespread weather activity is expected across the capital, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Faridabad, with generally cloudy skies and one or two spells of light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning across many areas, and isolated pockets likely to experience heavy rain.
The wet spell is expected to bring very light to light rain across multiple locations, with moderate showers during the morning to forenoon hours. Skies are then expected to turn partly cloudy, with no weather warnings in place, before transitioning to mainly clear skies and stable conditions.
Rain beyond the capital
Central and eastern states are also facing intense precipitation driven by a remnant cyclonic circulation. Isolated extremely heavy rainfall is forecast over north Bihar and parts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha, while widespread heavy to very heavy downpours are expected over Jharkhand, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and East Uttar Pradesh. A low-to-moderate flash flood risk has been flagged across vulnerable watersheds in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar and East Uttar Pradesh.
For Delhi residents, the immediate message is simpler: carry rain cover, expect a cooler feel in the air, and enjoy the clearer skies that usually follow a washout — while remembering that a single rainy spell does not end the winter pollution season. The northeast monsoon has already brought heavy rain warnings to parts of south India, and the IMD’s monsoon onset outlook pointed to a wet phase across the south. The capital’s turn in the rain is part of a wider unsettled pattern across the country.
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