Rainfall is expected to persist across eastern, central and southern India on Sunday, 1 November, as a developing weather system over the Bay of Bengal strengthens and approaches the eastern coastline. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a bulletin on Saturday, 31 October, detailing the developments, with heavy rainfall particularly expected in Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam.
The IMD has indicated that the system could further intensify into a depression and potentially develop into a cyclonic storm, moving towards the west-central Bay of Bengal near the Andhra Pradesh coast by the evening of 2 November. Thunderstorms and gusty winds are expected across several other areas in central and southern India as a result of the system.
Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam are on alert for isolated very heavy rainfall on 2 and 3 November. Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is predicted over coastal Karnataka, Kerala, south interior Karnataka, Telangana and coastal Andhra Pradesh between 2 and 4 November. Strong gusty winds reaching up to 60 kmph, along with thundersqualls, are also expected over Telangana.
In contrast, northern India is expected to remain largely dry on 1 November. Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab should see no significant widespread rainfall activity, with temperatures remaining relatively stable. Delhi’s own forecast is for a mainly clear sky on 1 November, with a maximum of 28-30 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 16-18 degrees, and no warning in place for the national capital.
Delhi’s clearer outlook follows a wet end to October. A low-pressure area over south-east Uttar Pradesh, formed by the remnants of very severe cyclonic storm Arnab, brought light to moderate rain and thunderstorms to the capital. Safdarjung recorded a daytime high of 25.4 degrees Celsius on 29 October, a sharp 5.6 degrees below seasonal norms and the capital’s coldest October day in four years. The rain also washed pollution out of the air, briefly bringing the Air Quality Index into the satisfactory range on 30 October.
Meteorologists caution that the relief may be transient. Clear skies over the weekend, combined with falling night temperatures and calmer winds, are likely to trap everyday urban emissions once again. Forecasts for Delhi put the AQI in the 200-260 range on 1 November, in the poor category, rising to 240-290 on 2 November as northwesterly winds begin carrying farm smoke towards the capital.
For residents of the eastern coast, the advice is more urgent: watch local IMD bulletins, avoid unnecessary travel during heavy spells, and stay clear of waterlogged roads and low-lying areas. Fishermen and coastal communities should follow advisories as the system approaches the Andhra Pradesh coast.
The contrast between north and east captures India’s November weather in miniature — clear, cooling skies in Delhi, and a restless Bay of Bengal preparing its next system for the coast. How that system behaves over the next 48 hours will decide whether the east faces a routine rainy spell or something more disruptive.
