Summary
Monsoon retreat: North India braces for thunderstorms, gusty winds and rain, while southern states face heavy showers and weather warnings.
Heavy rain alert: Kerala, Tamil Nadu and South Interior Karnataka may receive heavy rainfall as active weather systems influence southern India.
Delhi weather: Delhi-NCR could witness sudden thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds and light rain, although heavy rainfall remains unlikely during this period.
Eastern India: Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal may experience thunderstorms, rain and winds reaching 40 kilometres per hour.
Temperatures rise: Sri Ganganagar recorded 39.7°C, while Haflong registered 16°C, highlighting contrasting temperatures across different parts of the country.
The southwest monsoon is steadily withdrawing from the country, but its retreat has not brought an immediate end to unsettled weather. Several atmospheric systems are continuing to influence weather conditions across different regions, triggering thunderstorms, rain and strong winds in many states.
According to the India Meteorological Department’s forecast issued on October 6, 2026, southern states are likely to witness heavy rainfall in several areas, while parts of northern India, including Delhi, may experience light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds. The changing weather pattern is expected to persist over the next few days as the monsoon withdrawal progresses.
The southwest monsoon is continuing its retreat from the country. The withdrawal line has advanced through parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra and has also progressed further towards the Arabian Sea.
However, the departure of the monsoon does not mean that rainfall activity will cease immediately. Moisture remaining in the atmosphere, along with developing weather systems, is expected to keep conditions favourable for rain and thunderstorms, particularly over southern and eastern parts of the country.
Southern India is likely to remain one of the most active weather zones. A weather trough extending from the Gulf of Mannar towards central Maharashtra is influencing atmospheric conditions across the region.
The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall in parts of Kerala and Mahe, South Interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal on October 6. Rainfall in these areas could range between 64.5 mm and 115.5 mm in some locations, prompting a yellow alert.
The combination of moisture and the prevailing weather systems could produce intense showers over short periods, particularly in vulnerable areas. Residents have been advised to remain alert to local weather warnings and avoid unnecessary travel during periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms.
Northern India is also likely to experience a spell of unsettled weather. A western disturbance at higher levels over northwest India is contributing to changing weather conditions across the region.
The IMD has forecast thunderstorms, light to moderate rainfall and strong winds over parts of Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi. Wind speeds could reach 40 to 50 kilometres per hour. Similar conditions are possible in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab and Uttarakhand.
In Delhi-NCR, the weather could change suddenly, with clouds, lightning, gusty winds and isolated light showers. Heavy rainfall, however, is not expected to be a major concern in the national capital.
Weather activity is also expected over eastern and central India. Parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal may receive thunderstorms and rain accompanied by winds reaching 30 to 40 kilometres per hour. Parts of Uttar Pradesh could also witness lightning and thunderstorm activity.
Chhattisgarh, eastern Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Konkan and Goa, and Madhya Maharashtra may experience thunderstorms and lightning. Weather activity is also likely to remain active over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.
Despite the changing weather, temperatures remain unusually high in several parts of the country. Maximum temperatures were more than five degrees Celsius above normal in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada and Telangana.
On October 5, Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar recorded the country’s highest maximum temperature at 39.7 degrees Celsius. Among the plains, the lowest minimum temperature was recorded at Haflong in Assam, where the mercury fell to 16 degrees Celsius.
The combination of thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds calls for caution. People should avoid open areas, trees, electricity poles and weak structures during thunderstorms. Farmers should monitor weather warnings closely, avoid working in fields during lightning activity and ensure proper drainage in agricultural areas.
As the monsoon withdrawal advances, weather conditions are likely to remain variable. While rainfall will gradually reduce across many regions, local atmospheric systems will continue to produce rain, thunderstorms and strong winds in several states. The transition from the monsoon season, therefore, is likely to be marked not by an abrupt end to rainfall, but by a period of shifting and locally intense weather across the country.
