look news india
The activation of the southwest monsoon across the country has intensified seasonal disturbances from the plains to the remote forests of the Northeast and the Himalayan peaks. According to the latest weekly forecast released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the powerful low-pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal, northern Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal is now slowly moving towards central and eastern India. Parallel to this, the eastern end of the monsoon trough remains near normal conditions, while the Himalayan foothills are continuously being hit by moisture-laden monsoon winds.
Due to this multi-layered weather system, intermittent drizzle, drizzle and cloud movement will continue in the national capital Delhi and surrounding National Capital Region (NCR) till 22 August 2026. On the other hand, a widespread alert has been issued for heavy to extremely heavy rains and lightning strikes in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya of North-East India. The threat of landslides and waterlogging is at its peak due to heavy rainfall in the hilly states—Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Weather in Delhi-NCR till August 22: Double attack of light rain and humidity
For the residents of the national capital Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad, the Meteorological Department has shared the detailed weather profile for the entire week i.e. till August 22:
-
Intermittent showers, but little chance of heavy rain: Due to the absence of a strong axis of monsoon trough directly over Delhi-NCR, the chances of heavy rains causing torrential or waterlogging are less. However, due to moisture coming from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, the day will be partly to moderately cloudy with 1 to 2 spells of light rain or drizzle between morning and afternoon.
-
Temperature and humidity conditions: Maximum temperature at standard Safdarjung weather station of Delhi 32°C to 35°C and minimum temperature 26°C to 28°C Estimated to be between. Due to the humidity level in the atmosphere being in the high range of 65% to 88%, people will have to face the humid and sticky heat.
-
Daily Trend: There will be light showers amidst clouds on August 17 and 18. Due to local convection in the afternoon on 19, 20 and 21 August, some areas may experience some heavy showers along with thunderstorms. Even on August 22, the sky will remain cloudy with light drizzle.
Torrential rain in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar: Shadow of thunderstorm and thunderstorm till August 21
The impact of the low pressure area and cyclonic circulation is being felt most intensively in the Ganga plains:
-
Condition of Uttar Pradesh: The weather will be active from the districts of Western UP (Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Aligarh, Mathura and Agra) to Eastern UP (Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Bahraich, Gonda, Basti, Mirzapur and Sonbhadra). Especially in the districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, there has been a warning of heavy to very heavy rain till August 21 and winds blowing at a speed of 50 to 60 km/hour. The maximum temperature in Lucknow will be around 31°C to 33°C.
-
Serious warning of lightning in Bihar: The Meteorological Department has issued ‘Yellow’ and ‘Orange’ alerts for more than 20 districts of Bihar. There will be moderate to heavy rain with thunderstorms in Patna, Gaya, Nalanda, Nawada, Aurangabad, Rohtas, Kaimur, Bhagalpur, Purnia, Katihar, Araria, Kishanganj and Samastipur. The State Disaster Management Department has issued a strict advisory to farmers and villagers not to stand in open fields, pillars or under tall trees during lightning.
Arunachal Pradesh and Northeast India: Danger of heavy deluge in Brahmaputra Valley
There is a direct flow of south-west monsoon winds originating from the Bay of Bengal over Northeast India:
-
Alert in Arunachal Pradesh: There is a possibility of extremely heavy rainfall in Pasighat, Tawang, Itanagar, Changlang and Lower Dibang Valley of the hill state of Arunachal Pradesh for the next 4 to 5 days. Many connectivity routes may be blocked due to sudden strong flow of water and overflowing of mountain drains.
-
Assam and Meghalaya: Continuous torrential rains are continuing in the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam and Cherrapunji and Masinram belts of Meghalaya. An increase in the water level of rivers is being recorded in the districts of Kaziranga and Lower Assam.
-
Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura: Moderate to heavy rain with widespread thunderstorms is expected in these states too.
Trouble in the mountains: Warning of landslides and flash floods in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
The situation in the hilly states remains vulnerable due to the confluence of western disturbances and monsoon winds:
-
Orange Alert and Chardham Marg in Uttarakhand: Orange alert of heavy to very heavy rain has been declared in Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, Bageshwar and Uttarkashi. Due to heavy rainfall, there is a danger of landslides and boulder falls on Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri national highways. The state administration has appealed to the pilgrims of Chardham and Hemkund Sahib to travel only after seeing the accurate weather updates and stopping at safe stops.
-
Swelling of rivers and drains in Himachal Pradesh: Rainfall will remain intense in Shimla, Manali, Kullu, Mandi, Kangra, Sirmaur, Chamba and Solan till August 21. The water level of Beas, Parvati, Ravi and Sutlej rivers is rising rapidly. The local administration has imposed a complete ban on tourists from going near river banks and raw drains.
Central and Western India: Nature of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana
In the rest of the country also, the effect of monsoon rains will be visible in different forms:
-
Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh: There is an alert of heavy rain for the next 72 hours in most parts of East Madhya Pradesh (Jabalpur, Shahdol, Rewa, Sagar) and Chhattisgarh. There will be intermittent rain in Bhopal and Indore.
-
Punjab and Haryana: An alert of heavy rain with strong winds and thunderstorm has been issued in Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Rupnagar and Fazilka of Punjab. There will be showers along with thunder in the northern districts of Haryana.
-
Rajasthan: Light to moderate rain may occur over eastern Rajasthan (Kota, Udaipur, Bharatpur), while western Rajasthan will see partly cloudy and sunny weather.
-
Gujarat and Maharashtra: Moderate to heavy rains will continue in South Gujarat (Valsad, Navsari, Surat) and Konkan-Goa region till August 20.
Important safety advisory from Meteorological Department and Disaster Management
In view of the possibility of torrential rains, strong thunderstorms and lightning, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and local administrations have issued guidelines for common citizens:
-
Avoid waterlogged roads: Do not take the risk of crossing underpasses, submerged roads and rapids with strong currents during heavy rains.
-
Keep electronic devices off in bad weather: At the time of strong thunder and lightning, unplug sensitive electronic appliances like TV, refrigerator and computer and take shelter in permanent houses.
-
Distance from trees and dilapidated buildings: During a strong storm, do not stop near weak trees, hoardings, tin sheds and electric poles.
-
Avoid unnecessary travel in hilly areas: Completely avoid visiting landslide prone areas, river rafting and trekking trails.
By August 22, 2026, monsoon clouds will rain with full force in a large part of the country. There will be a mixed effect of humidity and rain in the plains, while the hilly and northeastern states need to be extremely cautious for the next one week to avoid natural disasters. Before leaving for travel or daily work, keep an eye on the live bulletins of IMD and local traffic police.