Archive photo: Thunderstorms hit Delhi
(Rajesh Mehta/BCCL Delhi)
Saturday 17 February: A new meteorological system is set to impact the weather across northern India starting tonight, bringing heavy rain and snowfall across the western Himalayan region next week. However, some of this wet activity is expected to extend into the adjacent northwestern Plains.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the above-mentioned system is set to bring fairly scattered rain of light/moderate intensity across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh from Sunday to next Tuesday (February 19-21).
Similar conditions, albeit with reduced coverage, will affect isolated locations in northern Rajasthan and northern Madhya Pradesh during this three-day time frame.
Apart from rainfall, isolated Thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds Winds of 30-40 kmph and gusting speeds of up to 50 kmph are very likely across northwest India during this forecast period.
Furthermore it, Hail storm Activity is available in Punjab, Haryana and northern Rajasthan on Monday and Tuesday (February 19-20) and western Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday alone (February 20).
Rain accumulation for 3 days from Saturday to Tuesday morning
(TWC Met Team)
Due to these stormy weather forecasts, all of the Northwest has been placed on standby Yellow watch during this period. The advisory urges residents to be “aware” of local weather conditions and plan accordingly.
These conditions will be caused by a westerly disturbance, a moist system of winds that originates over the Mediterranean Sea and moves eastward over parts of the Middle East, picking up moisture from the seas it encounters along the way. It then reaches India and reaches the Himalayan mountain ranges, where it often sheds rain. When these disturbances are strong enough, as is the case with the current system, they also cause rainfall over the northwestern plains.
These disturbances remained mostly absent during December and January, leading to a dry winter in the north this time. However, their frequency has increased since the beginning of February, as has the increased rainfall recorded in the northwestern plains.
Between February 1 and 16, Delhi (21.2 mm), Haryana (12.7 mm) and Uttar Pradesh (13.9 mm) recorded “significantly increased” rainfall compared to their respective averages in that time frame. Rainfall over Punjab (14.1 mm) and Rajasthan (3.4 mm) has been 'normal' so far this month, but this may change with the next spell of rain.
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