Rise in max temp expected across northwest India over next 4 days
An intense western disturbance was expected to affect the western Himalayan region from February 24 and adjoining plains from February 26
A gradual rise in maximum temperatures was expected in northwest India over the next four days before an intense western disturbance was likely to affect the western Himalayan region from February 24 and adjoining plains from February 26.
“There is likely to be a gradual fall in maximum temperatures by 2-4°C over northwest India during next 24 hours and gradual rise by 3-4°C during subsequent four days,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. It added temperatures have been above normal in northwest, central, and parts of east India. The western disturbance will lead to a marginal drop in temperatures for a day but there will be a rise by a few degrees thereafter.
Another western disturbance will impact northwestern India around February 24 and is likely to bring rain. “We can expect fluctuating but generally above normal temperatures,” said private forecaster Skymet Weather vice president Mahesh Palawat. He added this has been one of the driest winters with a large rain deficiency. “Snowfall has been very sparse and so winter games in Jammu and Kashmir had to be deferred. This has led to early heat.”
There has been 82% rain deficiency in northwest India since January 1. Uttarakhand faced a 92% rain deficiency, Himachal Pradesh 79% and Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh 83% and Delhi 71%.
A confluence of a trough running from north Bangladesh to Telangana and an anti-cyclonic circulation over the north Bay of Bengal in lower tropospheric levels were likely to lead to scattered to fairly widespread light/moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning with gusty winds (speed 30-40 kmph) in Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha on Thursday and Friday.
A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from February 24. Under its influence, scattered light to moderate rainfall/snowfall was expected in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand from February 24 to 26.
A cyclonic circulation lying over central Assam in lower tropospheric levels was expected to lead to scattered light rainfall activity in northeast India, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during the next seven days.
Day temperatures have been markedly above normal (5°C or more) in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Above normal (2.0°C to 5.0°C) temperatures were recorded in Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Punjab, west Rajasthan, west Uttar Pradesh, east India. Night temperatures rose by 1-4°C in parts of northwest India.
