Hails, storms hit GB Nagar, G’bad under orange alert

Heavy rains, hailstorms, and strong winds hit Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad, providing relief from heat and confirming an IMD orange alert.

Heavy rains, gusty winds and hailstorms swept across Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad on Thursday, bringing brief relief from the heat and confirming the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) orange alert.

Hailstorm seen in Ghaziabad on Thursday. (Hindustan Times)

Several parts of Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad witnessed intense rain, strong winds, dark clouds and reduced visibility during the day. The IMD had earlier warned of an orange alert in both the districts, indicating thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds.

The maximum temperature in both the districts settled at 36.2°C, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 24.5°C in Gautam Budh Nagar and 25.3°C in Ghaziabad. The rain eased heat conditions, especially during the evening.

“The weather changed very quickly. Within minutes, it was completely dark, followed by heavy rain,” said Ritu Sharma, a Sector 62, Noida resident.

In Greater Noida, residents reported strong winds preceding the rain. “Strong gusts and dust were seen before the rain. It looked like a storm system building up,” said Ankit Tyagi, a resident of Knowledge Park-IV.

Ghaziabad experienced similar conditions. “The winds were quite strong and visibility dropped significantly for some time. It felt like one of those pre-monsoon storms,” said Sameer Khan from Indirapuram.

Hailstorms were also reported from several areas across the region. In Ghaziabad’s Sahibabad, large hailstones disrupted movement, while Noida’s sector 11 and 57 also saw hail. Minor damages, including to the PVC sheds, were reported.

“The hailstones were surprisingly large and people rushed indoors,” said Sanjeev Kumar, a resident of Sector 52, Noida.

The impact of the storm was reflected in a sharp fall in temperatures across parts of NCR, particularly in Noida and Ghaziabad. According to weather data, eastern and northeastern parts of Delhi, including Noida and Ghaziabad, recorded a temperature drop of 14°C to 17°C during thunderstorm activity. Noida saw a fall of around 16.4°C, indicating the intensity of the convective system.

Air quality showed mixed changes. On Thursday, AQI stood at 179 in Noida, 198 in Greater Noida, both improving from Wednesday’s 192 and 226 respectively. Ghaziabad’s AQI stood at 212, a rise from 199.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet Weather said, “A cyclonic circulation persisting over northwest India, along with an active western disturbance, is driving the current weather. The system is moving east-northeast and interacting with moisture incursion over the plains, which is triggering strong convective activity. This is leading to intense thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, squally winds and isolated hail across Delhi-NCR, including Noida and Ghaziabad.”

“Such hail activity is typical of strong convective systems, where powerful updrafts lift moisture to higher altitudes, allowing ice formation before it falls as hail,” he added.

According to IMD’s forecast, partly cloudy to clear skies are expected between May 1 and 3, with temperatures rising to around 38°C. Another spell of rain and thundershowers is likely between May 4 and 6.

Officials have advised residents to remain cautious, particularly during the evening when such storms can intensify quickly. CHECK