Fresh spells of rain, snow in offing from today in parts of North India: IMD

The Western Disturbance is an extra-tropical weather system that originates in the Mediterranean sea and brings rain and/or snowfall to the north-western parts of the Indian subcontinent.

Cold winds and rain swept through the national capital on Sunday, with the maximum temperature dipping to 17.2 degrees Celsius, five degrees below what is normal for this time of the year. The weather department predicts the temperature to hover around 10-20 degrees Celsius in Delhi today, with a generally cloudy sky and light rain and thunderstorm.

Members of the Indian military band take part in the Beating the Retreat ceremony during rains in New Delhi, India, January 29, 2023. (Reuters)

As the cold wave intensifies in north-western parts of India, very dense fog conditions in morning or night hours are likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on January 30, the IMD bulletin stated.

Meanwhile, the weather agency has predicted a rise in minimum temperatures by 2-3 degrees Celsius over parts of East India in the next two days and a fall by 2-4 degrees Celsius thereafter. Dense fog is likely to persist at isolated pockets over Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura on Monday.

Parts of Rajasthan recorded 10 to 30 mm rainfall and a slight drop in temperatures in the last 24 hours, a MeT department official said on Sunday. Rainfall and dense fog conditions are likely to continue till Monday.

Dark clouds hover over the Ansagar Lake, in Ajmer, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023. (PTI Photo)

Punjab and Haryana reeled under cold weather conditions yesterday, with Muktsar recording a low of 2 degrees Celsius and Chandigarh 8.8 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Ludhiana and Amritsar’s minimum temperature settled at 6.3 and 6.2 degrees Celsius respectively.

Gujarat and Maharashtra are likely to see a fall in minimum temperatures by 2-4 degrees Celsius, the IMD bulletin informed.

With a low pressure forming over Bay of Bengal, the IMD predicts a stormy weather with wind speed reaching 40-45 kmph over Southeast and southwest Bay of Bengal and south Andaman Sea on Monday. It has also issued an advisory to fishermen against venturing into the sea.