Rain and Hail Trigger Early Chill in Delhi-NCR; Bay of Bengal Cyclone 'Arnab'

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-10-25 16:23:00

A sudden and widespread meteorological transition swept across northern and central India on Sunday, October 25, 2026, delivering unseasonal heavy downpours, severe hailstorms, and gusty winds that triggered an abrupt plunge in mercury levels and ushered in an early autumn chill. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued urgent thunderstorm and rainfall warnings across Delhi-NCR, western Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana as severe convective cells formed over the northern plains. Concurrently, a dangerous dual maritime disturbance is evolving across peninsular India: a powerful low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal is rapidly intensifying toward cyclonic storm 'Arnab', poised to strike coastal Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh by October 28, while active low-pressure troughs and Northeast Monsoon dynamics unleash heavy rainfall across Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Severe Hailstorms and Rains Batter Delhi-NCR, Western UP, and Haryana

A sudden convective surge has transformed weather patterns across northern urban corridors:

Downpours Across National Capital Region: Continuous rain accompanied by strong gusts swept through Delhi alongside adjoining suburban hubs including Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad, leading to immediate waterlogging and traffic deceleration.

Hailstorm Hits Delhi, Noida, and Hisar: Intense localized hailstorms struck Hisar in Haryana along with pockets of Delhi and Noida, leaving road surfaces covered in hail and dramatically dropping daytime temperatures.

Sharp Temperature Drop: Blustery winds and continuous precipitation have driven a steep decline in ambient temperatures across western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, ending weeks of persistent humidity and introducing an early chill.

Short-Term Alert: Meteorologists have warned that active thunder cells will sustain intermittent spells of heavy rainfall and gusty squalls over the northern plains over the coming hours.

Developing Cyclone 'Arnab': Bay of Bengal System Eyes Odisha and Andhra Coastlines

Maritime weather networks are tracking a rapidly intensifying deep depression over the Bay of Bengal:

Cyclonic Intensification by Monday: Currently charted as a well-marked low-pressure system, the depression is forecasted to upgrade into a deep depression and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm—to be named Arnab—by Monday morning.

Landfall Trajectory and Wind Speeds: Packing sustained gale-force winds clocking between 90 to 100 kilometers per hour, the cyclone is tracking northwestward, aimed at reaching the coastlines of southern Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh by the morning of October 28.

Presidential Visit Postponed: In light of the escalating cyclonic alert and massive disaster preparedness protocols, President Droupadi Murmu’s official two-day tour to Odisha scheduled for October 28 and 29—which included visits to Rairangpur and her home district Mayurbhanj—has been officially postponed.

Disaster Response Activated: State Disaster Response Forces (SDRF) and district control centers across coastal Odisha and northern Andhra have been placed on standby to manage potential coastal inundation and flash floods.

Inland Impact: Rain Alerts for Jharkhand, Bihar, and Eastern Uttar Pradesh

The cyclonic system's outer convective bands will trigger significant precipitation across eastern states:

Severe Storm Warning for Jharkhand: High-intensity rainfall, lightning strikes, and surface winds gusting up to 50 km/h are projected across Jharkhand districts on October 28 and 29.

Light Showers for Bihar and Eastern UP: The westward progress of the cyclonic shield will encounter opposing dry westerly winds, containing the impact in eastern Uttar Pradesh to isolated light showers while parts of Bihar brace for moderate spells.

Northeast Monsoon Fury: Coastal Tamil Nadu and Kerala on High Alert

Southern maritime sectors are experiencing compounding meteorological activity:

Active Arabian Sea Trough: A concurrent low-pressure system situated over the southeast Arabian Sea off the southern Kerala coast is feeding dense moisture into peninsular India.

Torrential Downpours in Tamil Nadu: Driven by the advancing Northeast Monsoon, multiple districts across Tamil Nadu and Kerala are bracing for heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by severe thunderstorms and squally winds.

Strict Warning for Fishermen: Marine weather agencies have issued an advisory instructing all fishermen to completely suspend deep-sea fishing operations and stay off southern waters for five consecutive days starting Sunday.

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