Delhi records 42.1 degrees Celsius as IMD issues yellow alert for heatwave conditions.
Thunderstorms, rain likely from April 28, bringing gradual temperature drop.
Heatwave conditions may persist across north and central India, IMD warns.
Delhi experienced a warmer morning on April 27, with the maximum settling at 42.1 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that similar conditions will prevail throughout the day as a “yellow alert” for heatwave is active in the first half.
Temperatures are expected to fall in the range between 43 degrees Celsius and 45 degrees Celsius today. However, a gradual shift is on the horizon as weather activity builds up.
1 April 2026
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The IMD has indicated that changing conditions will start bringing relief from April 28. With overcast skies and the return of rain, the maximum temperatures is likely to fall to 40-42 degrees on April 28 and dip further to 39-41 degrees Celsius on April 29.
An IMD official told Hindustan Times that “cloudiness is expected to remain on Thursday as well,” adding that temperatures may drop further, with the maximum “close to 37 degrees Celsius”.
The weather department has also predicted thunderstorm with rain for the capital city on April 28 and 29.
Highlighting the upcoming patterns, Navdeep Dahiya, an amateur weather observer wrote on X that a similar pattern with an incoming spell of summer storms is due on April 28. He further wrote that much awaited relief from the heatwave is expected as conditions shift early this week.
He added that “heatwave conditions will continue on April 27”. However, he underscored that temperatures are expected to fall from the evening of April 28 in rain-affected regions.”
Forecasting the weather, Dahiya wrote that strong dust storms (40-80 km/h wind gusts) can hit the region, followed by short spells of moderate to heavy intensity rain and thundershowers, usually lasting 15–45 minutes. Some areas may observe sustained drizzle for 2–3 hours after the passage of a storm.
He further predicted that the thunderstorms will carry lightning strikes and rumbling thunder. The risk of hailstorms remains on the lower side, but isolated events cannot be ruled out. Most activity will occur between 2 pm and 10 pm each day. Some storms may spill over into the next day, but with limited geographical coverage.
Heatwave Conditions Likely to Persist
Even as relief approaches in some regions, the IMD has warned that heatwave conditions are “very likely to persist” in isolated pockets across northwest and central India, including Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat.
Similar conditions are expected in Himachal Pradesh on April 27, while Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh may continue to experience heatwave conditions through April 28.
According to a press release published by IMD on April 25, the heatwave conditions are likely over northwest and central India during the next 3 days and that weather conditions would slightly improve thereafter. IMD also stated that heatwave to severe heatwave conditions could grip isolated places over Himachal Pradesh. In addition, heatwave conditions will be experienced at a few places over Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh.
Heatwave conditions are also likely in isolated places over Jammu-Kashmir, Punjab, East Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan.
IMD also urged people to drink plenty of water, avoid direct sunlight from 12 pm to 4 pm, use hats or umbrellas as covering and not to leave kids or pets in parked vehicles.
