After a chaotic Friday marked by storms and destruction, residents of Delhi are likely to experience some respite today, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting light rain and gusty winds. However, this relief will be short-lived, as heatwave conditions are expected to return to the national capital by April 16.

On Friday, a sudden dust storm swept across Delhi, bringing down trees, damaging property, and causing widespread disruption. One fatality was reported when a wall at an under-construction site collapsed. The strong winds and poor visibility also affected flight operations at Delhi Airport, leading to delays and diversions.

According to IMD data, Delhi’s Safdarjung Observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 35.8°C and a minimum of 22.8°C. Saturday’s forecast includes partly cloudy skies, very light rainfall or thunderstorms, and surface winds reaching 20–30 kmph, with gusts touching 40 kmph.

While today’s milder weather offers a breather from the heat, the IMD has warned that this won’t last. Clear skies are expected to return by Sunday, followed by a rise in temperatures. The department has cautioned that heatwave conditions may grip the region by April 16.

Thunderstorms across India, east and northeast on high alert

Beyond Delhi, several states are dealing with unstable weather. Strong winds, thunderstorms, and lightning have been predicted in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand. Gusty winds reaching up to 50 kmph may affect parts of West Madhya Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal, and northeastern states like Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Nagaland.

Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh are also under watch for lightning activity, while Rajasthan could witness more duststorms.

Bihar storm toll reaches 61; relief announced

Bihar has been the worst affected by recent extreme weather events. As of Friday, the death toll reached 61, including 22 from lightning strikes and 39 from hailstorms and related incidents. Nalanda reported the highest number of deaths at 23, followed by Bhojpur with six fatalities.

In response, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹4 lakh for the families of each deceased victim.

India’s widely used Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system faced a major disruption on Saturday morning, causing inconvenience to users nationwide. Prominent apps such as PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm were affected, preventing users from conducting essential digital transactions.

The outage hit early in the day, leaving thousands of users unable to send or receive money. As UPI has become an integral part of digital payments for individuals and businesses, the disruption severely impacted daily financial activities across the country.

According to outage tracking platform DownDetector, user complaints surged with around 1,168 reports of UPI service issues logged by noon. Google Pay topped the chart with 96 reported issues, followed by Paytm with 23 complaints. Users of PhonePe also expressed difficulty in making payments and accessing services.

Users express frustration

Social media platforms and tracking forums were flooded with posts as users voiced frustration over failed transactions. For many small businesses and daily wage earners, the temporary breakdown hampered routine operations and led to delays in payments.

While the cause of the technical glitch remains unclear, authorities and service providers are expected to release statements addressing the problem and outlining restoration efforts.

Cricket’s most animated left-hander, David Warner, just scored a record-breaking deal in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) – and no, he’s not crying over the Indian Premier League (IPL) snub. In fact, he’s laughing it off — with a captain’s cap on.

The Australian southpaw was roped in by Karachi Kings for a whopping Rs 2.58 crore, becoming the most expensive signing in PSL history. The veteran cricketer, now named captain of Karachi Kings, addressed the media ahead of his PSL debut match against Multan Sultans. And just when you thought the drama ended there, a reporter in Karachi tried to spice things up during a press conference by suggesting Warner was being trolled by Indian fans for swapping IPL glitz for PSL grit.

David Warner’s response

“This is the first I’ve heard of it. From my perspective, I want to play cricket,” Warner said, blinking like someone who just heard his name on a school gossip list. “There’s an opportunity to come to PSL… Now, I want to compete, captain the Karachi Kings, and hopefully win the trophy.”

Warner’s acquisition by Karachi Kings marked a historic moment, as he became the most expensive signing in PSL history. While many expected Warner to light up the IPL 2025, the auction tables had other plans. But instead of sulking into retirement or dancing on TikTok (again), Warner opted for a new cricketing home — Pakistan.

The PSL 10 Draft, held at the historic Hazoori Bagh in Lahore, saw Warner picked first in the Platinum category by Karachi Kings. The move not only handed him the captaincy but also broke the bank — in the best way possible.

With a glowing T20 record of 12,913 runs in 399 matches at a strike rate of 140.23, Warner’s not here to play second fiddle — he’s here to rule.

Karachi Kings squad

David Warner (C), Abbas Afridi and Adam Milne (all platinum), James Vince, Hasan Ali, Khushdil Shah (all diamond), Shan Masood, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Aamir Jamal (all gold), Arafat Minhas (brand ambassador), Tim Seifert, Zahid Mahmood, Litton Das and Mir Hamza (all silver), Fawad Ali and Riazullah (both emerging), Omair Bin Yousuf, Kane Williamson, Mohammad Nabi and Mirza Mamoon