Heavy rains, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, battered Delhi and its surrounding areas on Tuesday, March 31, throwing normal lives out of gear, but also bringing relief from the rising temperatures. Delhi and some parts of the NCR also witnessed rainfall on Monday, March 30, evening, bringing relief to rather warm and humid afternoons.

According to reports, rains and hailstorms have also lashed several places in Haryana and Punjab.

Earlier in the day, an orange alert was issued by the weather department, expecting lightning and thunderstorms across many parts of the city. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted gusty winds to reach speeds of 40–50 kmph, with occasional gusts up to 60 kmph.

An orange alert indicates that residents should be prepared for potentially disruptive weather conditions. Hailstorms may also occur in isolated areas of the NCR region.

The weather department said earlier that the predominant surface wind is expected to be from the southwest. It is expected to be of speeds of up to 15 kmph during the afternoon. It said that the wind speed will gradually go down to drop to below 10 kmph from the southeast direction during the evening and night.