Reeling under intense fog conditions, the winter in northwest India is all set to get more intense over the next few days with a cold wave expected to sweep the region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded an orange warning for northwest India including the national capital till January 20.
The weather department declares a cold wave when the minimum temperatures plunge below 4℃, and it turns severe when it goes below 2℃. Such spells can last for a few days but can even stretch up to ten days during extreme winters.
The mercury has hovered around 2-6℃ in the night across most parts of Punjab, Haryana as well as Delhi which has also remained under the grip of dense fog. The visibility has plummeted to 25 metres during mornings, disrupting flights. The night-time temperatures have remained around 3℃ in Delhi for the last four days, leading to a cold wave.
Ballowal in Punjab recorded the lowest minimum temperature at -0.4°C in northwest India on Monday. Unlike the winter of 2022, the region has been largely dry this time, with no significant rain or snow spells, sparking concerns for the Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
“There have been a lot of instances in the past when it has not rained in January. This is part of year-to-year variability in weather. But it can prove to be a difficult situation for the states, as winter rain is also important for replenishment of the reservoirs,” said Dr Anand Sharma, senior meteorologist formerly with IMD.
However, another feeble western disturbance has impacted north India, and it could lead to some light rainfall or snowfall at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand on Wednesday. Jet Stream Winds of around 140-150 knots are prevailing over the plains of north India, and Uttarakhand is also likely to witness ground frost conditions.
According to the IMD, there could be light to moderate rainfall over Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal, Sikkim, and other parts of northeast India as well over the next few days. The region remains covered in dense fog during the early morning and late evening hours, and the situation is likely to remain the same at least for the next two to three days.
After slightly above-normal temperatures for most of December, the daytime temperatures have now remained at least 4-6℃ below normal over most of northwest India. They remain within the 11-15℃ range during the day for Punjab, Haryana as well as Delhi.
Comments
0 comment