The Delhi-NCR region received moderate rainfall on the morning of Tuesday, 4 August, breaking a prolonged spell of heat and humidity and bringing welcome relief to residents. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast continued light to moderate showers and dense cloud cover through the day, with maximum temperatures expected to stay between 31 and 33 degrees Celsius and minimums between 23 and 25 degrees Celsius.

IMD Issues Red Alert for Patiala

The most severe warning of the day has been directed at Patiala district in Punjab, where the IMD has issued a Red alert — the highest tier, indicating dangerous conditions requiring immediate action. The department has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, gusty winds reaching around 60 kmph, and heavy rainfall exceeding 15 mm per hour. Residents have been urged to remain indoors and avoid all non-essential travel.

Orange Warnings Span Multiple States

An Orange Warning — indicating a high likelihood of thunderstorms, lightning, winds of 40–60 kmph, and moderate to heavy rainfall of 5–15 mm per hour or more — has been issued for a wide belt of districts across the country.

In Punjab, the alert covers Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Sangrur, and SAS Nagar. In Uttar Pradesh, the affected districts include Amethi, Ayodhya, Barabanki, Fatehpur, Hardoi, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Lucknow, Pratapgarh, Raebareli, and Unnao.

The Orange Warning also extends to Kasaragod in Kerala; Dakshin Kannada, Shivamogga, and Udupi in Karnataka; Bhind, Datia, Gwalior, Morena, Sheopur Kalan, and Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh; Jiribam, Kamjong, Noney, Senapati, and Tamenglong in Manipur; Uttar Dinajpur in West Bengal; Longleng, Mokokchung, Mon, and Wokha in Nagaland; Golaghat, Jorhat, Majuli, and Sivasagar in Assam; Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Kaithal, and Kurukshetra in Haryana; and Bageshwar, Dehradun, Pithoragarh, Tehri Garhwal, and Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand.

Safety Precautions Advised

The IMD has urged residents across all warned districts to avoid sheltering under trees or weak structures during thunderstorms, monitor road and traffic conditions before travelling, and stay away from flood- and landslide-prone areas. Authorities have stressed that advisories issued by local disaster management agencies must be followed strictly.

Where to Track Updates

The weather department has confirmed that updated forecasts — including Yellow warnings and district-level nowcast information — are available on the IMD's official weather portal. Authorities are closely monitoring the evolving situation, and residents are encouraged to rely on official channels for real-time guidance. With the monsoon active across a wide swathe of the country, conditions are likely to remain dynamic through the week.