Western disturbances may bring more snow, rain: IMD – india news

Two back-to-back western disturbances are likely to bring snow to the western Himalayas and rain or hail to the north-western plains, including northern Punjab, northern Haryana and northwest Uttar Pradesh, this week, according to the weather department.

In its Sunday bulletin, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a western disturbance, which has induced a cyclonic circulation over Iran and its neighbourhood, will start affecting the northern plains with peak intensity from January 13.

“Under its influence [the western disturbance], fairly widespread to widespread precipitation is very likely to occur over Western Himalayan region on January 12 and 13 with some heavy to very heavy falls on January 13. Thunderstorm accompanied with hail and lightning also likely at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on January 13,” the bulletin said.

Hail and thunderstorms are also likely over northern Punjab, northern Haryana and northwest Uttar Pradesh on January 13, according to IMD. Soon after that, another western disturbance is likely to affect the western Himalayan region and northern plains on January 15, with peak rain intensity likely on January 16.

Both maximum and minimum temperature is likely to go up next week due to moisture incursion and clouding, IMD scientists said. “We are also expecting light rain over Delhi on Monday. Wind speed will be moderate around 15 to 20kmph. Again on January 15 night, we are expecting a drizzle followed by moderate rain on January 16,” said Kuldeep Shrivastava, head of regional weather forecasting centre.

“Both maximum and minimum temperatures over Delhi will go up for two reasons—moist south-westerly winds from Arabian Sea and clouding associated with the WD,” added Shrivastava.

Next week, the minimum temperature is likely to go up by 4 degrees Celsius, which is 2-3 degrees Celsius above normal. The maximum temperature is likely to be normal or slightly less than normal next week. In Delhi, the minimum temperature on Sunday was 7.1 degrees Celsius, normal for this season, and the maximum temperature was 23.4 degrees Celsius, 3 degrees Celsius above normal.

“When there is clouding and moisture incursion, the night temperature goes up. There is no fall in minimum temperature because we are seeing back to back western disturbances,” said K Sathi Devi, head of the national weather forecasting centre.

January is set to witness four western disturbances, including the two that are approaching, till the 16th of the month.

The first brought rain and snowfall to north-western India between January 1 and 3, and the next brought rain and snow, including a few spells in Delhi, on January 8. Because of cloud cover in the morning associated with western disturbance, the outgoing long wave radiation is trapped, making nights warmer.

In Delhi, the air quality index (AQI) on Sunday was 348, in “very poor” category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.