An active Western Disturbance over Pakistan and northwest India brought pre-dawn showers to Delhi on 18 February and is forecast to unleash thunderstorms, hail and squally winds across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and the western Himalayas over the next 24 hours. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued orange alerts for isolated hailstorm activity and warned of 40–50 km/h gusts that could disrupt road and air traffic.
Early morning flights at Delhi’s IGI Airport reported minor delays as runway visual range dipped below 1,200 m during bursts of rainfall. Airlines have asked passengers to check apps for revised departure times and arrive early in case of cascading gate changes. On the ground, visibility-driven speed restrictions slowed inter-state buses on NH-44 and NH-48.
![Western Disturbance triggers rain, hail and fog alerts across North India—IMD tells travellers to brace for delays]()
The disturbance will also push dense fog pockets onto Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh tomorrow morning, while fishermen face gusty conditions in the Bay of Bengal, Gulf of Mannar and Comorin region. The IMD advises travellers heading to hill stations in Himachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand to carry snow chains and monitor avalanche bulletins.
Corporate travel planners should expect potential meeting delays, factor in extra airport transfer time and warn assignees driving long distances. Logistic firms moving temperature-sensitive goods may need contingency routing as temperature swings of 4 °C are expected through Friday.
The weather system is likely to ease after 24 hours, with temperatures rebounding gradually; however, another disturbance is brewing over Central Asia and could reach India next week, underscoring the importance of closely watching IMD advisories during winter-spring transition months.
Early morning flights at Delhi’s IGI Airport reported minor delays as runway visual range dipped below 1,200 m during bursts of rainfall. Airlines have asked passengers to check apps for revised departure times and arrive early in case of cascading gate changes. On the ground, visibility-driven speed restrictions slowed inter-state buses on NH-44 and NH-48.
The disturbance will also push dense fog pockets onto Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh tomorrow morning, while fishermen face gusty conditions in the Bay of Bengal, Gulf of Mannar and Comorin region. The IMD advises travellers heading to hill stations in Himachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand to carry snow chains and monitor avalanche bulletins.
Corporate travel planners should expect potential meeting delays, factor in extra airport transfer time and warn assignees driving long distances. Logistic firms moving temperature-sensitive goods may need contingency routing as temperature swings of 4 °C are expected through Friday.
The weather system is likely to ease after 24 hours, with temperatures rebounding gradually; however, another disturbance is brewing over Central Asia and could reach India next week, underscoring the importance of closely watching IMD advisories during winter-spring transition months.
Source: The Times of India
