4°C fall in temp from Jan 26, cold wave return likely: IMD

After a brief respite, the capital is likely to return to cold wave conditions starting on Republic Day when the minimum temperature is likely to drop by 3 to 4 degrees Celsius -- the fallout of weather factors at play in the Himalayas and in the northern plains, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday.

The Western Himalayas experienced widespread snowfall and rain on Friday and Saturday, and an induced cyclonic circulation was over Punjab and its neighbourhood in the plains . A western disturbance loomed over north Pakistan and its neighbourhood as a cyclonic circulation.

Under the influence of such atmospheric factors, widespread rain or snowfall with moderate thunderstorms, lightning and hail are likely to lash Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad and Himachal Pradesh over the weekend, according to the IMD’s Saturday bulletin.

Uttarakhand is also expected to experience similar weather. Light rain and thundershowers are likely in isolated places over north Punjab, north Haryana and Chandigarh until Sunday.

“There has been widespread snowfall in the hills on Friday and Saturday. Rain is also likely over north Punjab and north Haryana. From January 25 onwards; very cold northwesterly winds are likely to blow over Delhi which will lead to a significant fall in minimum temperatures. On January 26, 27 and 28, minimum temperature is likely to fall to 4 degree C over Delhi,” said Kuldeep Shrivastava, head of the IMD’s Regional Weather Forecasting centre.

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 20.4 degrees C, 1 degree below normal ,and minimum temperature of 8 degree C on Saturday. Delhi recorded “very poor” air quality on Saturday with an air quality index reading of 326.

“Wind speed is likely to reduce on Sunday as wind direction will change from southeasterly to northwesterly tomorrow. During transition of wind direction, wind speed is low which affects dispersion of pollutants. Winds are likely to be northwesterly during next three days blowing at 10 to 12 kmph, not enough for adequate dispersal of pollutants so air quality is likely to be in poor to very poor category for the next few days.,” said VK Soni, a scientist at IMD’s air quality division.

Dense to very dense fog is likely over pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, north Rajasthan, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura during the next 4-5 days; and over Bihar, north Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim and Odisha during the next 2-3 days.

Cold day or severe cold day conditions are likely over some pockets of Uttar Pradesh during the next 2-3 days and over Haryana during the next 24 hours. Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are likely in isolated pockets over north Rajasthan during January 24 to 27 and over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh on anuary 26 and 27, according to the bulletin.

According to IMD, a cold day or severe cold day is classified as such on two parameters—a minimum temperature of under 10 degrees and maximum temperature of 4.5 degree C or 6.4 degrees C below normal.

A cold wave occurs in the plains when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and/or is 4.5 notches less than the season’s normal for two consecutive days. A cold wave is also declared when the minimum temperature is less than 4 degrees C in the plains.