Movement of western disturbances to both sides of the Republic Day has brought in a lot of weather over North-West, Central and East India and promises to herald even more in terms if alternating cold day and cold wave conditions and dense to very dense fog over many parts of the region.
These systems in combination with contemporaries elsewhere have already dropped a phenomenal rain surplus of 184 per cent over the country as a whole so far in the New Year except over Kerala, Karnataka and Lakshadweep in the South (even Tamil Nadu recorded an exceptional 129 per cent).
Cold air wafts in to North
This (Thursday) morning, an incumbent western disturbance has moved to North-West Uttar Pradesh but has thrown down a weather-making trough extending backwards to the West of Delhi. Over the South, a productive but unseasonal trough runs from South Tamil Nadu to South Interior Karnataka.
The rear of the western disturbance over North-West Uttar Pradesh has seen cold air waft in, cooling lingering moisture to form dense to very dense fog to bring in cold day to severe cold day conditions (when maximum day temperatures being capped at 16 degrees Celsius due to the presence of clouds/fog) over parts of North-West and Central India.
Cold wave (minimum night temperatures at 10 degrees Celsius or below) conditions may linger over most parts of North-West India and parts of Central India during next 3-4 days, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said in an update.
Fresh western disturbances
Similar conditions may variously visit parts of Vidarbha, North Madhya Maharashtra, Marathawada, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, North Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
A fresh feeble western disturbance may check into the hills of North-West India and influence local weather from Sunday, likely followed by another from Wednesday next (February 2), triggering thundershowers and snow mostly in the hills.
Cold day to severe cold day conditions prevailed over parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and West Madhya Pradesh yesterday (Wednesday) while cold day conditions were reported from pockets of Uttarakhand, East Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, East Rajasthan, Vidarbha and Gujarat.
Night temperatures dip
Minimum (night) temperatures are below normal by 2-4 degrees over most parts of North-West and Central India and 1-3 degrees over East India as fog clears up into the night. Dense/dense fog descended over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi Uttar Pradesh and East Rajasthan on Wednesday.
Since the prevailing western disturbance is bound East, the IMD has predicted isolated rainfall today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday) over East and North-East India. Isolated light rain is likely over Jharkhand, plains of West Bengal and Odisha for next five days and over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Isolated thunderstorms/lightning/hail may break out over the hills of West Bengal and Sikkim today (Thursday) while it will be scattered light/moderate rain over North-East India until tomorrow.
Odd wet spells in South
The rogue trough over Tamil Nadu-Karnataka will trigger light rain over South Interior Karnataka, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Rayalaseema, Kerala and Mahe for next two days and over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during next four days.
Night temperatures may fall by 2-3 degrees Celsius over North-West India during next couple of days and reverse gradually later by the same margin. They may dip by a higher extent (4-5 degrees Celsius) over East India during the next three days.
No significant change is likely over Gujarat and Maharashtra during next 2-3 days but night temperatures may begin to look up gradually thereafter.