Rain, snow predicted in north this week
NEW DELHI: Two western disturbances in quick succession this week are likely to affect parts of northern India, including the national capital, leading to precipitation that may in turn bring down temperatures till the end of February, according to a prediction by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Widespread snow is expected over Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh over the next five days, and light to moderate rainfall is likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, parts of Uttar Pradesh, north Rajasthan and Delhi in the next three days. This is likely to lead to a drop in temperature by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius, the IMD prediction said. The minimum temperature in Delhi on Sunday was 10.5 degrees Celsius. “Thunderstorm, with hailstorm, lightening and gusty wind at some places would occur over Jammu division, lower reaches of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand mainly on February 18, 20 and 21; and over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on February 20 and 21,” IMD’s Sunday weather bulletin said.
The successive western disturbances will be the season’s 11th and 12th - normally, no more than five to six western disturbances affect north India each winter. Meteorologists said the rise in intensity and frequency of these disturbances is an indirect impact of the weakening of the Polar Vortex. “It’s the end of February, so we are not expecting a cold wave (when the temperature is less than 4 degrees Celsius) but there will definitely be a fall in temperature.”
Thunderstorm, with hailstorm and gusty wind would occur in Jammu, lower reaches of Himachal and Uttarakhand on Feb 18, 20 and 21; and in Punjab, Haryana on February 20 and 21. IMD’S WEATHER BULLETIN