Cold spell likely to continue over parts of northwest region
NEW DELHI: Minimum temperatures over many parts of northwest India are likely to fall by 2 to 4 degree C over the next two days according to India Meteorological Department, owing to rain and snowfall associated with an ongoing intense western disturbance.
The western disturbance is lying as a cyclonic circulation over north Pakistan and neighbourhood with the trough (line of low pressure) aloft in middle and upper tropospheric levels. An induced low-pressure area is lying over northwest Rajasthan and neighbourhood and associated cyclonic circulation in lower tropospheric levels.
There is likely to be high moisture incursion from Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal during next 24 hours. Under its influence, widespread light/ moderate rainfall/snowfall is very likely to continue over Western Himalayan region on Thursday and Friday. Isolated hailstorm is very likely over Himachal Pradesh on Thursday and over Uttarakhand on Thursday and Friday. Several parts of northwest India recorded extremely cold temperatures due to clouding and cold winds on Thursday.
Isolated heavy rainfall/snowfall also very likely over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad and Himachal Pradesh on Thursday and over Uttarakhand on Thursday and Friday.
Widespread light/moderate rainfall is very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh on Thursday and light isolated rainfall on Friday.
Isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on Thursday. The WD and its induced cyclonic circulation is very likely to move eastnortheastwards during next two days, as a result there will be high moisture incursion from Bay of Bengal to east and adjoining northeast India on Thursday and Friday due to confluence between westerlies and southeasterlies from the Bay of Bengal at lower tropospheric levels.
“This is an extremely intense and rapidly moving western disturbance. It will affect the northern regions for about 24 to 36 hours and then move eastwards bringing heavy rain and even hailstorm to east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
That is why we have issued an orange alert for these regions. Day temperatures will improve slightly from Friday over northwest India but minimum temperatures will fall. This WD has also led to gusty cold winds blowing over northwest India at 30 to 40 kmph.
These are a mix of easterly and northerly winds but the wind direction will change to northerly from Friday,” said RK Jenamani, scientist at national weather forecasting centre, IMD.