Residents across Delhi-NCR woke up to a pleasant surprise on Saturday morning as pre-monsoon showers, cloudy skies and cool breezes brought temporary relief from the ongoing heatwave. Parts of the city, including Vasant Kunj and Pandit Pant Marg, received light rain and gusty winds, leading to a noticeable dip in temperatures after days of scorching heat. The temperature in Delhi came down to 36 degrees Celsius after the showers.
Monsoon is expected to cover southern India over the next two weeks and could move to North India by late June or July.
VIDEO | Rain lashes parts of Delhi, bringing much-needed relief from the scorching heat that gripped the city over the past several days. Visuals from Vasant Kunj.
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/jdfZMaZ3vN
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 23, 2026
Despite the rain on Saturday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said there will be no major change in maximum temperatures across northwest India over the next seven days, indicating that the relief may only be short-lived. Delhi is expected to continue reeling under intense heat, with maximum temperatures likely to hover between 43°C and 46°C till May 28, while minimum temperatures are expected to remain between 26°C and 31°C. The weather department has also predicted partly cloudy skies and chances of thundery development on May 23 and May 28.
VIDEO | Delhi: The national capital receives much-needed relief from sweltering heat as light rainfall lashes parts of the city. Visuals from North Avenue area.#Delhi #WeatherUpdate
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/DiNBHFxdZU
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 23, 2026
On May 22, Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 43.6°C and a minimum of 29.3°C, while Palam logged a high of 44.3°C and a low of 28.7°C.
Meanwhile, weather activity intensified in parts of north India, with snowfall reported in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad, while Himachal Pradesh witnessed rainfall at a few places. Isolated areas of Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand also saw rain and thunderstorm activity.
Alaknanda area in Delhi during the first shower on Saturday (Express Photo: Anish Mondal)
Kerala set for monsoon
Kerala is likely to witness widespread rainfall activity over the coming week as conditions remain favourable for the further advance of the southwest monsoon, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The monsoon is expected to progress into more parts of the southeast Arabian Sea, Comorin area, southwest and southeast Bay of Bengal, the remaining parts of the Andaman Sea, and additional areas of the east central Bay of Bengal during the next two to three days.
Under the impact of these systems, rain or thundershowers are likely at most places across Kerala and Lakshadweep till May 28.
For Thiruvananthapuram and nearby areas, the weather department has forecast a generally cloudy sky with a few spells of rain or thundershowers till the morning of May 23. The maximum temperature in the city is expected to hover around 31°C.
Bengaluru rains
Rainfall activity continued across Karnataka over the past 24 hours, with many places in South Interior Karnataka receiving showers, while Coastal and North Interior Karnataka recorded rain at a few locations, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
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For Bengaluru, the IMD has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by rain and lightning on May 23. The city is likely to witness partly cloudy skies with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers on May 24, along with thunderstorm activity. From May 25 to May 28, Bengaluru is expected to experience generally cloudy skies with light rain. The city recorded a minimum temperature of 22.5°C over the past 24 hours, which was 0.9 degrees above normal, while relative humidity stood at 90% on Friday.
Maximum temperatures across the state ranged between 29.7°C and 42.4°C. Temperatures were appreciably above normal in parts of North Interior Karnataka, including Bidar, while Bengaluru HAL Airport, Bengaluru City and Bengaluru KIAL Airport recorded above-normal maximum temperatures. An appreciable rise in temperatures was also observed in Bengaluru City, Chitradurga and Davangere during the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Coastal Karnataka districts, including Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, are likely to receive light to moderate rain or thundershowers over the next seven days, with rainfall activity expected to intensify at many places by May 27 and 28.
Gujarat remains dry
Gujarat is likely to continue witnessing hot and largely dry weather conditions over the coming week, according to IMD. Weather remained dry across Gujarat region, Saurashtra-Kutch, Diu, Daman and Dadra & Nagar Haveli over the past 24 hours, while maximum temperatures showed an appreciable fall in parts of Saurashtra and a noticeable rise in parts of Kutch.
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The weather department has forecast no major change in maximum temperatures across the state over the next seven days, with temperatures likely to remain above 40°C at isolated pockets in Gujarat.
However, light to moderate rain or thundershowers are likely at isolated places in districts such as Navsari, Valsad, Dang and Tapi in south Gujarat, along with Daman, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli on May 23.
West Bengal storm activity
West Bengal is likely to witness enhanced thunderstorm and rainfall activity over the coming days due to favourable wind patterns and strong moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal. An upper air cyclonic circulation currently lies over interior Odisha and adjoining areas, while a trough extending from northwest Uttar Pradesh to interior Odisha across east Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh is influencing weather conditions across eastern India.
For Kolkata, the IMD has forecast a partly cloudy sky with thunderstorms and light rain likely in some areas towards the afternoon or evening over the next 24 hours. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 36°C and 29°C respectively. On Friday, Kolkata recorded a maximum temperature of 35.2°C and a minimum of 29.8°C, while relative humidity levels ranged between 66% and 91%.
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Thunderstorm activity accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph is very likely across several districts of North Bengal over the next week. Heavy to very heavy rainfall has also been forecast at isolated places in Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Coochbehar, Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts May 26.
