Delhiities and north Indians can now expect some relief from biting cold wave.
With the change in wind direction from northwesterly to easterly, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday predicted that both the minimum and maximum temperatures are likely to rise during the next 48 hours. The wind speed is expected to increase from December 31 evening under the influence of western disturbances and easterly winds in lower level.
According to IMD scientist Kuldeep Srivastava, the maximum temperature recorded an increase of 2-3 degrees Celsius on Sunday over many locations in Delhi and the whole western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab due to change in the wind direction from northwesterly to easterly. Delhi and NCR are reeling under severe cold wave condition for the past 16 days since December 14, surpassing 22 years record.
According to the IMD, Delhi-NCR are likely to witness light rain between January 1 and 3 and hail storm is expected on January 2. After 1997, December is all set to be second coldest month since 1901 as the mean average temperature is recorded 19.07. The minimum temperature in various parts of Delhi varied with 2.5 degrees Celsius being recorded at Ayanagar, 2.8 degrees Celsius at Lodhi Road, 3.2 degrees Celsius at Palam and 3.6 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung.
The average maximum temperature was recorded in the evening at 15.8 degrees Celsius, five notches below what is considered normal for the season. The maximum temperature in various parts of Delhi varied with 14.8 degrees Celsius at Ayanagar, 15.6 degrees Celsius at Lodhi Road, 13.5 degrees Celsius at Palam and 15.8 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung. For Monday, the weatherman has predicted dense fog in the morning with cold wave at a few places in Delhi-NCR.
The IMD had issued a red-colour warning for Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and amber-colour warning for Madhya Pradesh. A red-coded warning is given for extreme weather events. The cold wave is not expected to relent until the New Year.
The minimum temperature across the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh Union Territory stayed several degrees below the freezing point, intensifying the cold wave in some areas in the region.
In Haryana, all schools have been closed on December 30-31 due to the severe cold wave for the past few days. In Rajasthan, Jaipur’s minimum temperature is settling at 1.4 degrees Celsius — the lowest since December 13, 1964 when the minimum temperature had settled at zero degrees Celsius.
The IMD said that severe cold wave conditions observed in many pockets over Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi and in isolated pockets over north Rajasthan and Vidarbha and cold wave conditions in many pockets over East Madhya Pradesh and Bihar and in some pockets over West Madhya Pradesh and Odisha and in isolated pockets over Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal and Sikkim.
Night temperatures were markedly below normal in some parts of Odisha, east Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha and appreciably below normal in some parts of West Bengal and Sikkim, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, west Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana and in remaining parts of Odisha, east Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha and were below normal in some parts of Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat State and Marathwada and in remaining parts of West Bengal and Sikkim, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
In Rajasthan, Mount Abu, the State’s sole hill station recorded a temperature of 3 degrees Celsius below the freezing point on Sunday morning. Sikar recorded zero degrees Celsius followed by Churu (1.2 degrees Celsius), Pilani (1.6 degrees Celsius), Banasthali (1.8 degrees Celsius), Budi (2 degrees Celsius), Bikaner (2.6 degrees Celsius), Kota (2.8 degrees Celsius) and Jaisalmer (3 degrees Celsius).
Himachal Pradesh is likely to witness snowfall on New Year Eve. Minimum temperature in several parts of the State settled around two notches below the season’s normal, with Keylong recording a low of minus 11 degrees Celsius. Manali, Solan, Bhuntar, Sundernagar and Kalpa shivered at sub-zero temperatures. Kalpa in Kinnaur district registered a low of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius, while Manali and Sundernagar shivered at minus 2.6, minus 1 degrees Celsius respectively.
IMD predicted that rain is likely to lash eastern and western parts of the state on December 31 and January 1, 2020.