Delhi-NCR is likely to witness thunderstorms accompanied by hailstorms on Thursday as Cyclone Arnab moves inland after making landfall along the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Lightning and gusty winds are also forecast over Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh, creating potential disruption for commuters and outdoor activity.
The IMD has forecast thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds across parts of eastern, central, northern and southern India. In Delhi-NCR, the weather system is expected to bring hailstorms at isolated places along with thunderstorms. The forecast also covers Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, where similar conditions are likely.
The warning comes as the cyclone moves inland after making landfall on the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast. Its wider weather influence is expected to extend across several regions, with heavy to very heavy rainfall forecast at isolated places in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, east Madhya Pradesh, east Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha on Thursday.
The IMD has also forecast heavy rainfall at isolated places in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Vidarbha, West Bengal and Sikkim. Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds are likely across east Uttar Pradesh, east Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Konkan and Goa, in addition to Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh.
In Odisha, a yellow warning has been issued for several districts, including Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Mayurbhanj, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Cuttack. The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall at one or two places, along with thunderstorms and gusty surface winds of 30-40 kmph, with gusts reaching 50 kmph.
Several other regions are also expected to experience severe weather. Chhattisgarh may receive heavy to very heavy rainfall, including isolated extremely heavy rainfall, while thundersqualls are likely at isolated places in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. East Madhya Pradesh is under a heavy to very heavy rainfall warning, and Vidarbha may receive heavy rain.
In northern India, east Uttar Pradesh may receive heavy to very heavy rainfall, while west Uttar Pradesh, east Rajasthan and Uttarakhand are likely to see thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds. West Rajasthan may experience winds of 30-40 kmph, with gusts reaching 50 kmph. Isolated thunderstorms and lightning are also forecast over Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and adjoining areas.
The weather system is expected to continue affecting parts of the country beyond Thursday. Rainfall may continue across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, the Northeast and the west coast over the coming days. The IMD has forecast continued rainfall across parts of eastern, central, northern and southern India into early November.
