IMD warns of cold wave over north India this week

“The minimum temperatures along the plains of northwest India will drop by 2 to 3 degrees and remain so thereafter. Cold wave conditions at isolated pockets are likely over Punjab, north Rajasthan, Haryana and Chandigarh between January 12 and 15,” stated the Met department’s weather bulletin.

There are presently two active cyclonic circulations — over southwest Bay of Bengal and over north Konkan. These systems, along with the confluence of moist winds from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, will continue to affect parts of central and east India regions till Friday.

Light to moderate intensity rain accompanied by lightning and hail is forecast over Odisha, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Sikkim, Vidarbha, Telangana and coastal Andhra Pradesh till January 14.

Heavy rain could lash Odisha and Telangana on Thursday, said the IMD. Tamil Nadu, Karaikal, Puducherry, Kerala and Mahe may experience thunderstorms till the end of this week.

This winter, there have been active, strong and consecutive streams of western disturbances passing through the northern parts of the country. IMD officials have said two more such streams are likely between January 16 and January 18.
“Light to moderate rainfall will affect western Himalayan regions post January 18,” IMD officials said.