Representative image. Mani IMadras, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Why it matters
Rain on the festival days affects travel, shopping and outdoor celebrations in the south, and farmers with crops in the field. In the north, a dry, hazy week coincides with the two days on which green crackers are allowed in Delhi-NCR.
The Diwali weather forecast splits India in two: the India Meteorological Department (IMD) expects fairly widespread to widespread rain over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal on 7 and 8 November, the eve of Diwali and Diwali itself, while north India stays dry, hazy and polluted. The forecast covers the week from 5 to 11 November, Mint and the Economic Times reported on Friday, 6 November 2026.
The IMD forecast also flags isolated heavy rain over Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh through the week, and over Kerala until 8 November. It expects no significant weather over west and central India.
Diwali weather forecast by region, 7 to 9 November
| Region | What IMD expects around Diwali |
|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal | Fairly widespread to widespread rain on 7 and 8 November; isolated heavy rain all week |
| Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Rayalaseema | Rain all week, isolated heavy spells; thunderstorms and strong surface winds until 9 November |
| Kerala, Mahe | Rain all week; isolated heavy rain until 8 November |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Fairly widespread to widespread rain from 8 November; heavy rain 9 to 11 November |
| Uttarakhand | Isolated to scattered rain on 8 and 9 November |
| Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand | No rain listed before 9 November; isolated to scattered rain 9 to 11 November |
| Delhi | Dry and hazy; shallow fog over the next four days |
| West and central India | No significant weather |
Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds of 30 to 40 km an hour, gusting to 50 km an hour, are likely at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and Tamil Nadu between 5 and 9 November, Mint reported, citing IMD.
Tamil Nadu rain and Andhra Pradesh showers
The Tamil Nadu rain had already begun on Thursday. Adiramapatinam in Thanjavur district and Kodaikanal in Dindigul each recorded 3 cm of rain on 5 November, Vellore 2 cm and Nellore in Andhra Pradesh 4 cm, the Economic Times reported. In Kerala, Karipur and Kozhikode received 5 cm and Kottayam 3 cm.
The Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai had warned of light to moderate rain with thunder at isolated places in 10 Tamil Nadu districts until 1 am on 6 November: Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai, Tirupathur, Vellore, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Erode, Salem, Namakkal and the Nilgiris, according to Mint.
The rain follows Cyclone Murasu, whose remnant weakened over Telangana and coastal Andhra Pradesh earlier this week, Mint said. Our report on the damage Murasu caused in Andhra Pradesh has the crop and casualty figures.
Delhi weather for Diwali: dry and smoky
North and central India get little relief from rain. In the Delhi weather outlook, the city is expected to stay dry with hazy skies, the Economic Times said. The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 389, in the “very poor” band, at 8 am on Friday, with some stations in the “severe” range, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data reported by the Times of India. IMD recorded a minimum of 17.8°C in Delhi and forecast shallow fog for the next four days, followed by fog or mist early on 10 and 11 November, the paper said.
Green crackers are allowed in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on 7 and 8 November under a Supreme Court order, as we reported earlier, so the dry spell coincides with the two days of permitted firecrackers.
IMD forecast for the northeast and the hills after Diwali
For the northeast, the IMD forecast has isolated to scattered rain over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura through the week, and over Assam and Meghalaya from 8 November, with isolated heavy rain across the region from 9 to 11 November, Mint reported. Arunachal Pradesh may also see heavy rain on 9 and 10 November.
In the hills, Himachal Pradesh may see isolated rain on 10 and 11 November, and Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on 10 November, with isolated heavy rain possible there, according to the same forecast.
Anyone travelling south for Diwali, or farmers in Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh with crops in the field, will want to watch IMD’s daily district warnings, which are updated more often than this weekly Diwali weather forecast. Mint’s report on the full forecast is here.
Frequently asked questions
Will it rain on Diwali 2026?
In Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, IMD expects fairly widespread to widespread rain on 7 and 8 November. North, west and central India are expected to stay largely dry.
What is the Delhi weather forecast for Diwali?
Dry and hazy, with shallow fog forecast for the next four days and fog or mist on 10 and 11 November, according to IMD as reported by the Times of India.
Will Kolkata get rain this week?
IMD's weekly forecast has isolated to scattered rain over Gangetic West Bengal from 9 to 11 November, after Diwali.