Minimum temperatures are likely to fall by three to five degrees Celsius in the north and northwestern part of India over the next three days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said amid snowfall and rain due to a western disturbance.
R.K. Jenamani, senior scientist from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, “this is an extremely intense and rapidly moving western disturbance. It will affect the northern regions for about 36 hours and then move eastwards bringing heavy rain and even hailstorm to east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. That is why we have issued an orange alert for these regions.”
Jenamani added, “Widespread light to moderate rainfall or snowfall is likely to continue in the western Himalayan region on Saturday and Sunday. Many parts of northern and northwestern India, recorded low temperatures due to clouding and cold winds. Day temperatures will improve slightly across northwest India but minimum temperatures will fall. This western disturbance has led to gusty cold winds blowing over northwest India at 30 to 40 kmph. These are a mix of easterly and northerly winds but the wind direction will change completely to northerly from Saturday.”
Two days ago, the IMD had forecasted that moderate rainfall with thunderstorms or lightning is likely in Bihar and Jharkhand and northeast India. While hailstorms are also likely in parts of Assam and Meghalaya. There is likely to be above normal rain of around 121% of the long-period average in north India this month, IMD said in its monthly forecast on Monday. The LPA for north India during February based on the data of 1961-2010 is about 65.3 mm. Rainfall in January was 129% excess with 133% excess over northwest India.