The cold wave in North India will continue till January 2 and it will get intense from the next week. Parts of northwest and central India appear set to begin the New Year on a wet note, as isolated rains and thunderstorms have been forecast across the region starting Friday, January 1.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow watch over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, thereby urging residents to ‘be aware’ of their local weather situation and remain wary of the lightning and thunderstorms.
The IMD also predicted light rain in eastern Rajasthan, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana between January 2 and January 6. Immediately after this rain spell, a fresh western disturbance—a storm that originates as low-pressure systems over the Mediterranean Sea and pushes moist, high-altitude westerly winds towards India—is likely to affect the north Indian weather from January 3 onwards.
The system is expected to bring light/moderate scattered to fairly widespread rainfall/snowfall over the Western Himalayan region from January 3-5.
“Cold Day to Severe Cold Day conditions in isolated to some pockets very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and West Madhya Pradesh during next two days and over Himachal Pradesh during next 24 hours,” the IMD said.
According to Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD’s regional forecasting centre, clear skies over Delhi-NCR, multiple western disturbances affecting the Himalayan region and the global impact of La Nina were the major reasons behind such low minimum temperatures. “After December 12, western disturbances mostly affected the western Himalayan region, leading to significant snowfall and rain over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh,” Srivastava said.
After the wind system withdraws, cold north-westerly winds blow from Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh to Delhi-NCR, bringing the minimum temperature down, he said.
“Uplifted fog” over Punjab and Haryana made the winds even colder, he added. “ The global factor of La Nina further contributed to the fall in temperatures,” Srivastava said.
“Dense/very dense fog in some pockets over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and dense fog in isolated pockets over Bihar, Assam & Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura during next 2 days and over Uttarakhand, West Madhya Pradesh during next 24 hours,” the IMD said.
The IMD said a trough in lower level easterlies is expected to bring isolated rain and thundershowers over the plains of northwest India and adjoining West Madhya Pradesh on Friday and Saturday, January 1-2.
According to the IMD, ground frost conditions in isolated pockets very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi and north Rajasthan during next 24 hours.
The cold wave sweeping Kashmir intensified as the mercury fell several notches to settle well below the freezing point across the valley,Srinagar city -- the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir -- recorded a low of minus 5.9 degrees Celsius, which was over three degrees below the previous night’s minus 2.2 degrees Celsius.
Gulmarg tourist destination in north Kashmir recorded 10.4 degrees Celsius as against the previous night’s low of minus 11 degrees Celsius.
The ongoing cold wave conditions in Haryana and Punjab intensified at many places, with Hisar reeling at minus 1.2 degrees Celsius. A thick blanket of fog again enveloped most places in the two States early in the morning, reducing visibility levels. The minimum temperatures hovered well below normal limits as a few places experienced the season’s coldest night so far. Hisar in Haryana recorded the season’s coldest night so far and the mercury dropped eight notches below the normal.
Cold wave conditions also persisted in many places in Punjab.Bathinda reeled under severe chill recording a minimum temperature of 0 degree Celsius, the season’s lowest so far, while Amritsar and Faridkot, too, braved the chill at 1.6 degrees Celsius and 1.2 degrees Celsius, respectively.Pathankot, Halwara, Adampur, Ludhiana and Patiala also recorded below normal minimums at 2.2, 3.1, 4.8, 4.1 and 4.8 degrees Celsius, respectively. Intense cold conditions prevailed in Rajasthan where over a dozen districts recorded night temperatures below 5 degrees Celsius.