Is winter coming in April? Powerful Western Disturbance to bring rain, unseasonal cold in Delhi

A powerful Western Disturbance, which the North India normally witnesses in January, is rushing towards Delhi from the west, and by Tuesday, April 7, it is predicted that the daytime temperature of the national capital will come down from 35 degrees Celsius to as low as 21. Its peak impact will be felt between April 7 and 10, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

Meanwhile, the Western Disturbance has already begun affecting some regions of North India that include the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, which experienced fresh snowfall. The wet weather has also gripped parts of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan with light rain affecting wheat growers in these states, leading to major losses due to crop damage.

In Jammu and Kashmir, snowfall also forced the closure of several key inter-district roads. The Meteorological Department warned of short but intense spells of heavy rain in isolated areas, which could trigger flash floods, landslides in vulnerable regions, and waterlogging in low-lying zones. Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh experienced a drop in both daytime and night temperatures, with light to moderate rainfall and snowfall reported across multiple areas.

How is this powerful Western Disturbance building up?

This upcoming weather event is stronger than usual because two separate systems are joining forces. While a Western Disturbance (a storm system from the west) is moving in, it is being "fed" by a large amount of moisture rising from the Arabian Sea.

This moisture has created a secondary circulating weather pattern over Rajasthan. You can think of this as a local whirlpool of warm, moist air that is already building up thick clouds. As the main storm system arrives from the west, these two systems will merge. Together, they will create a much denser band of clouds, significantly increasing the chances of heavy rain across North India.

Computer models show this low-pressure system currently sitting over Pakistan and Afghanistan, with strong winds steadily pushing moisture into Northwest India. The system will start affecting West Rajasthan from the evening of April 6, spreading across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and western Uttar Pradesh through April 7, and reaching its full intensity on April 8, before gradually declining into April 10.

How cold will North India get?

A sharp dip in temperatures is on the cards across North India. Daytime highs, currently hovering between 33 degrees Celsius and 35 degrees Celsius in the plains, are expected to fall significantly. Based on the ECMWF forecast, maximum temperatures could drop to 19–24 degrees Celsius in Punjab, 20–25 degrees Celsius in Haryana, and 21–26 degrees Celsius in Delhi around April 7 to April 8, around 8 to 15 degrees below normal. In effect, conditions may briefly resemble those typically seen in February rather than April.