India Meteorological Department (IMD) has pushed by two days formation of an anticipated low-pressure area and indicated that the likely site of genesis may be farther away from Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu than earlier thought, even as a cold to severe cold wave unfolds over North India.
In its outlook this (Friday) morning, the IMD maintained that minimum (night) temperatures may fall by 2-4 degrees Celsius over most parts of North-West and adjoining Central India as well as Gujarat during the next four days, mostly on this side of the international border with Pakistan.
Western disturbances keep away
This would come about as the warmth of predecessor western disturbances lift over the region and none is forecast to check in from across the border during this period. Night temperatures may dip by a lesser 2-3 degrees Celsius over most parts of East India and Maharashtra during the next three days.
Also read:
Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions may prevail over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Saurashtra and Kutch until Wednesday next; over North Rajasthan from tomorrow (Saturday) to Wednesday; over West Uttar Pradesh from Sunday to Wednesday; and Gujarat region on Sunday and Monday.
Denser dense fog
A natural accompaniment to the cold wave is dense/very dense fog in the morning hours at isolated pockets over Punjab and Haryana tomorrow (Saturday). Another offshoot is ground frost in the morning hours in isolated pockets over Saurashtra, Kutch, Punjab and Haryana during the next three days.
There is a view that while the weather conditions trigger concerns over the standing wheat crop, the cereal may hold its own against the double whammy of fog and ground frost. In fact, the current weather condition may be conducive for the wheat crop in the vegetative stage.
But it is a different story if fog and ground frost during the flowering stage, according to experts. But growers need to be vigilant against the threat of a possible outbreak of fungal disease blast.
Weak western disturbance
Meanwhile, a weak western disturbance lies over North Pakistan and adjoining Jammu & Kashmir on Friday morning. It may at best trigger light to moderate rainfall/snowfall over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand until Saturday morning, the IMD said.
Also read: Low-pressure off Sri Lanka to spark wet weather over South India
The IMD also held out the outlook for light to moderate rainfall at isolated places across the South Peninsula over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala and Mahe during the next five days as a result of the buzz in the South-West Bay of Bengal ahead of the formation of a low-pressure area.
Rain for South Peninsula
The causative cyclonic circulation lies over the Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining central parts of South Bay. It is likely to move East-North-East (away from Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu). It would set up the ‘low’ over the South-East Bay and adjoining Equatorial Indian Ocean during the next two days.
It would set up squally weather (wind speeds of 40-50 km/hr gusting to 60 km/hr) ph) over the Equatorial Indian Ocean (around Sri Lanka) and adjoining South Bay until Monday. Fishermen are advised not to venture into these areas.