Brace for rain: IMD issues red, yellow, orange alerts for different parts of Delhi-NCR

Delhi-NCR is staring at another spell of rain, with the national capital already seeing isolated rain showers in parts of the city.Adding to that, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning in several parts of Delhi over the next few hours.A district-level nowcast issued by the Regional Meteorological Centre, New Delhi, on Thursday, August 13, forecast different intensities of rain across the capital until 5:55 pm.The warning comes as Delhi continues to grapple with humid weather and an uneven monsoon. WHERE WILL IT RAIN IN DELHI?The most intense conditions are expected over parts of Central Delhi, South Delhi, New Delhi, South West Delhi and West Delhi, where heavy rain with thunderstorms and lightning is very likely.The IMD has also forecast moderate rain with thunderstorms and lightning over parts of Central Delhi, South Delhi, New Delhi, West Delhi and North Delhi. Meanwhile, light rain or thunderstorms with lightning are likely over parts of South East Delhi, East Delhi, Shahdara, Central Delhi, North East Delhi, South Delhi, New Delhi and North Delhi. (Source: IMD) The colour-coded map marks these conditions from light rain to heavy rain, with the areas under the heaviest rain shown in red.WHY IS IT RAINING IN DELHI?The latest spell comes after several humid days in the capital, when moisture remained high, but rainfall was not uniform across the city.Delhi's monsoon has also been marked by sharp swings between intense rain and relatively dry periods.Heavy bursts can quickly add to the seasonal rainfall total, but they do not necessarily erase the deficit immediately.As of August 17, Delhi is facing a 17% rainfall deficit since the monsoon's arrival on June 4.The wider monsoon pattern, however, remains active.Weather forecasts also confirmed that a depression over coastal West Bengal was moving west-northwestwards towards Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand, while heavy to extremely heavy rain was affecting parts of eastern and central India.RAIN MAY CONTINUE TO FUEL DELHI'S WEATHERA prolonged spell of extreme rainfall across the entire capital is something that most would hope for, but it's not what Delhi should be worried about.For Delhi, the immediate concern is intense, localised showers and thunderstorms that can develop over some districts while neighbouring areas receive lighter rain.The latest district nowcast is valid only until 5:55 pm, meaning conditions can change as the weather system moves.For residents, the afternoon could therefore bring a familiar monsoon pattern of dark skies, sudden downpours and varying levels of rainfall the different corners of Delhi.- EndsPublished On: Aug 13, 2026 15:22 IST