The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted that northwest India, including parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, is likely to experience light to moderate rainfall, thunderstorms, and gusty winds from March 18-20. Temperatures are expected to drop by 2-4 degrees Celsius in the next two days.

On Saturday morning, several parts of India received light rainfall with a minimum temperature of 18.2 degrees Celsius. The IMD predicts a generally cloudy sky with light rainfall and thundershowers for the next two days. A hailstorm warning has also been issued for the national capital.

Isolated hailstorms are expected over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the next three days. The areas in northwest India, which have experienced a rainfall deficit this month, are likely to receive rainfall due to a western disturbance and cyclonic circulation over southwest Rajasthan.

Western disturbances, storms originating in the Caspian or Mediterranean Sea, bring non-monsoonal rainfall to northwest India.

Temperatures dropped to 17 degrees Celsius in as rain fell on Saturday morning, providing a cool weather environment near Sukhna lake.

The IMD also predicts isolated heavy rainfall over parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana from March 18-19, and light rainfall over north interior Tamil Nadu. Additionally, along with parts of Maharashtra, experienced light to moderate rains from Wednesday night to Thursday.

Unseasonal rains and hailstorms have caused damage and casualties in Maharashtra’s Marathwada region, affecting nearly 4,950 hectares of crops.

Heavy rainfall is expected in parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Meghalaya over the next two days, with isolated hailstorms in Bihar and Odisha on Saturday.

Another western disturbance is anticipated to affect northwest India from March 19, followed by another on March 22.