A fresh western disturbance has become active over northern India, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said, potentially altering weather patterns across Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh in the coming days. The development arrives even as air pollution across the National Capital Region has surged to severe levels, with Delhi recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 463 as of 5 November 2026.

Western Disturbance: What to Expect

According to the IMD, the weather system is expected to bring scattered light rainfall and snowfall to the hilly regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. However, its impact on the plains is likely to remain limited — no significant rainfall is anticipated across the northern plains, including Delhi-NCR, until at least 8 November.

Predominantly dry and windy weather is forecast for the region over the coming days. Maximum temperatures in Delhi are likely to range between 27°C and 30°C, with minimum temperatures expected to settle between 14°C and 18°C.

Notably, as temperatures dip further next week, the IMD has warned of intensifying cold conditions and a possible uptick in morning fog — a pattern familiar to residents of the Indo-Gangetic Plain at the onset of winter.

Delhi-NCR Pollution Hits Severe Levels

Air quality has deteriorated sharply across the National Capital Region, with multiple cities breaching the 400 AQI threshold — the 'severe' category under India's national air quality standards. Delhi recorded an AQI of 463, Noida registered 456, and Greater Noida reported 426. Gurugram and other major NCR cities have also remained severely polluted, according to available data.

This comes amid seasonal conditions — calm winds, lower temperatures, and crop-residue burning in neighbouring states — that typically trap pollutants close to the surface. The incoming western disturbance, while not forecast to deliver significant rainfall to the plains, may temporarily ease pollution if wind speeds rise.

Cyclone Murasu Weakens After Andhra Landfall

Cyclone Murasu, which originated over the Bay of Bengal, has weakened after crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast. Despite the system's dissipation, rainfall activity is expected to continue over parts of southern India — particularly Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala — through 8 November.

A separate cyclonic system over Lakshadweep is also contributing to wet conditions along coastal Karnataka and southern Tamil Nadu. Light to moderate rainfall is forecast across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, Mahe, and Karaikal until 8 November.

North-South Weather Divide

The contrasting weather picture — a dry, polluted north against a rain-soaked south — underscores the dual pressure on India's meteorological systems at this time of year. While southern states are set for continued wet spells driven by both a weakening cyclone and a Lakshadweep system, the northern plains will see little respite from pollution until wind patterns shift or precipitation arrives.

Forecasters will closely watch whether the western disturbance's downstream effects on northern plains accelerate any improvement in Delhi-NCR's air quality before the week is out.