India's brutal heatwave breaks Sunday, but storms replacing it are no picnic
The India Meteorological Department has forecast thunderstorms, hailstorms, and squally winds across large parts of India this Sunday, May 31, 2026. The southwest monsoon is also advancing and may reach Kerala within days.
India will wake up to a busy sky this Sunday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a detailed forecast that reads less like a weather bulletin and more like a warning to stay indoors.
WHAT WEATHER IS COMING TO NORTH INDIA THIS SUNDAY?
North India is finally getting some respite. After days of punishing heat, thunderstorms and gusty winds are set to lash Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh on May 31. Dust storms lashed Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan on May 30 too.
Squally winds reaching 60 to 70 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 80 kilometres per hour, are likely.
Hailstorms are also expected in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and East Rajasthan.
Temperatures in Delhi are expected to hover between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius, which is appreciably below normal, a welcome change from the recent scorchers.
WILL CENTRAL AND EAST INDIA SEE RAIN THIS SUNDAY?
Yes. Thunderstorms are forecast over Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and Chhattisgarh.
Squally winds reaching up to 70 kilometres per hour are expected in Vidarbha.
Over in East India, Odisha and Jharkhand can expect severe thundersqualls, while Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim are in for scattered to fairly widespread rain.
HOW IS THE SOUTHWEST MONSOON DOING?
The southwest monsoon made further headway on May 30, advancing into parts of the southwest and southeast Arabian Sea, the Lakshadweep Islands, the Comorin area, and large swathes of the Bay of Bengal.
Conditions are favourable for the monsoon to push into parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu within the next four to five days. It is, quite literally, on its way.
WHERE IS THE HEAT STILL BITING?
Not everyone gets rain and relief. Heat wave conditions are likely to persist in isolated pockets of Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana on May 31.
The highest temperature recorded on May 29 was 46 degrees Celsius at Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh. Hot and humid conditions are also expected along the Konkan coast.
IMD advises people to stay indoors during thunderstorms, avoid open areas, unplug electronic appliances, and keep away from trees and water bodies.
India will wake up to a busy sky this Sunday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a detailed forecast that reads less like a weather bulletin and more like a warning to stay indoors.
WHAT WEATHER IS COMING TO NORTH INDIA THIS SUNDAY?
North India is finally getting some respite. After days of punishing heat, thunderstorms and gusty winds are set to lash Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh on May 31. Dust storms lashed Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan on May 30 too.
Squally winds reaching 60 to 70 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 80 kilometres per hour, are likely.
Hailstorms are also expected in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and East Rajasthan.
Temperatures in Delhi are expected to hover between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius, which is appreciably below normal, a welcome change from the recent scorchers.
WILL CENTRAL AND EAST INDIA SEE RAIN THIS SUNDAY?
Yes. Thunderstorms are forecast over Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and Chhattisgarh.
Squally winds reaching up to 70 kilometres per hour are expected in Vidarbha.
Over in East India, Odisha and Jharkhand can expect severe thundersqualls, while Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim are in for scattered to fairly widespread rain.
HOW IS THE SOUTHWEST MONSOON DOING?
The southwest monsoon made further headway on May 30, advancing into parts of the southwest and southeast Arabian Sea, the Lakshadweep Islands, the Comorin area, and large swathes of the Bay of Bengal.
Conditions are favourable for the monsoon to push into parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu within the next four to five days. It is, quite literally, on its way.
WHERE IS THE HEAT STILL BITING?
Not everyone gets rain and relief. Heat wave conditions are likely to persist in isolated pockets of Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana on May 31.
The highest temperature recorded on May 29 was 46 degrees Celsius at Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh. Hot and humid conditions are also expected along the Konkan coast.
IMD advises people to stay indoors during thunderstorms, avoid open areas, unplug electronic appliances, and keep away from trees and water bodies.
