If you are stepping out in northern or central India today, you need to keep a close eye on the sky. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a rapid 10-hour weather alert covering 17 states for Monday, May 18. Millions of residents are facing a highly unusual mix of sudden rain, severe thunderstorms, and even snow in higher altitudes right in the middle of peak summer.
This sweeping alert specifically targets regions including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Anyone in these areas should prepare for gusty surface winds reaching speeds of up to 60 km/h. The aggressive weather pattern is a direct result of a fresh Western Disturbance pushing into Northwest India and clashing violently with the suffocating heatwave currently gripping the country.
What makes today’s forecast particularly tricky is the temperature whiplash. In Delhi, despite the stormy squalls and high winds, the capital is still projected to record a scorching high of 43°C and a minimum of 31°C today. The immediate relief from the rain will be short-lived. Once this temporary weather system clears out, dry northwesterly winds sweeping in from central Pakistan and Rajasthan are expected to push daytime temperatures up to a blistering 45°C across the northern plains later this week.
For those tracking the broader summer relief, this erratic pre-monsoon activity is an intense but standard part of the seasonal transition. The southwest monsoon is slowly advancing, with the IMD projecting its arrival in Kerala around May 26. Until then, the focus remains strictly on navigating these sharp, daily weather swings safely.