New Delhi: North India is bracing for a prolonged spell of unsettled weather as three active western disturbances are expected to move across the region
over the next week bringing heavy snowfall to the western Himalayas and rain to the plains including Delhi. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that the systems will impact weather conditions across several states, with travel disruptions likely.
According to the IMD, the back-to-back disturbances will keep the atmosphere active till the end of the week, resulting in repeated spells of rain and snow in the hills and widespread cloud cover over northwest India.
Snowfall likely in Himalayan states
The Kashmir valley is expected to witness isolated heavy snowfall and rain on January 22 and 23. The higher regions of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are also likely to receive heavy snowfall on January 23. In Himachal Pradesh, light to moderate precipitation is forecast to begin on January 22 and become widespread between January 22 and 24.
Uttarakhand is expected to see scattered rainfall from January 22 with precipitation becoming more intense and widespread between January 23 and 25. Authorities have advised caution in hill districts as road conditions could deteriorate due to snow accumulation.
Rain across northwestern plains
The impact of the western disturbances will extend well beyond the mountains. Punjab is likely to experience scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall between January 22 and 25. Similar conditions are expected in Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan during this period.
Eastern Uttar Pradesh is expected to receive rain mainly on January 23 and 24. The IMD has said that intermittent showers could affect daily activities and lead to traffic slowdowns in urban areas.
Along with the rain and snow, the IMD has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds across several regions. Wind speeds could reach 40 to 50 kmph in Jammu and Kashmir on January 23 while winds of 30 to 40 kmph are likely in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan between January 22 and 24.
Dense to very dense fog is also expected over parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar over the next two to three days which may disrupt road, rail and flight operations.
While minimum temperatures are not expected to change significantly in the next few days, a gradual rise followed by a dip is likely as the weather systems move through. The residents and travellers have been advised to keep track of official weather updates.
