Cold wave over several parts of NW India likely from today

Cold wave to severe cold wave is likely to impact parts of north Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh during January 25 to 27 and west Uttar Pradesh and west Madhya Pradesh between January 26 and 27, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 7.4 degrees Celsius (° C) on Monday. The Western Disturbance which caused widespread snowfall in the Western Himalayas moved northeastwards from Jammu and Kashmir. Cold, dry northwesterly winds are likely to pick up from today over northwest India and persist during the subsequent 3-4 days over plains of north and adjoining parts of central and western India.

Under its influence, the current spell of dense to very dense fog over some pockets over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, north Rajasthan is likely to persist till January 26 and decrease in spatial distribution and intensity thereafter. Today also, there was moderate fog with less than 500 metres visibility over many parts of northwest India. On Sunday, there was dense to very dense fog across the Himalayan foothills from north to the north-eastern states. In fact, a layer of uplifted fog persisted the entire day over parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and west Uttar Pradesh.

Cold day to severe cold day conditions are very likely in some pockets over Uttar Pradesh during the next two days. Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets over north Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh between January 25 and 27.

“We are expecting a substantial drop in minimum temperatures by 3-4 ° C over the plains as winds are northwesterly blowing from the direction of the Western Himalayas where there was widespread snowfall,” said Kuldeep Shrivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre.

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

A cold wave occurs in the plains when the minimum temperature is 10° C 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° C in the plains.