Weather Forecast: Despite the sun showing up for a larger part of the day on Wednesday and then again on Thursday, the cold wave persists in the Delhi-NCR. The impact of the cold wave is only gaining strength across North India.
The continuous snowfall in the high altitudes of Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir is causing the temperature to drop rapidly in the plains. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cold wave will continue in Delhi till January 10 and the dense fog is likely to prevail on January 9 and 10. Meanwhile, light rain may occur on January 11 and 12.
Heavy snowfall in mountainous areas has brought cold winds across North India. Moderate to heavy snowfall occurred in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The minimum temperature was slightly above normal. Due to the dense fog, the night temperature did not drop much.
However, the minimum temperature is likely to drop to 6 degrees Celsius in the next three days.
Meanwhile, rain and thundershowers are likely in North India, including Delhi, from January 10 to 12 due to the activation of the Western Disturbance
Cold Winds Dominate Rajasthan
The cold wave hasn't spared Rajasthan. The minimum temperature was recorded at 1.1 degrees Celsius in Fatehpur, Sikar. Dense fog and a drop of two to four degrees in temperature are expected in many areas of Jaipur, Bikaner, and Bharatpur divisions. According to the Meteorological Department, there is a possibility of rain in these areas between January 10 and 12, which may further increase the cold.
Dense Fog Keeps Visibility At Bare Minimum In Punjab And Haryana
The cold wave continues in Punjab and Haryana as well. Visibility became zero in Amritsar due to dense fog, while it remained limited to 20 and 10 metres in Ludhiana and Patiala. Fog also affected life in Karnal and Ambala in Haryana. Sangrur remained the coldest place in Punjab, where the temperature dropped by six degrees below normal to 3 degrees Celsius. "Cold wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Punjab on Thursday," the IMD said.
Jharkhand Shivers In Cold
The cold is at its peak in many parts of Jharkhand. The minimum temperature of 6.5 degrees Celsius was recorded in Latehar, which is the lowest in the state. The temperature also dropped in Khunti, Lohardaga, and Ranchi. According to the Meteorological Centre, such cold is expected to continue till January 10.
Cloudy Conditions Expected In UP
The weather is likely to remain dry in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, January 9, although dense fog may prevail in some places. Due to the impact of the Western Disturbance, light to moderate rain is expected in western UP, Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, and Awadh regions between January 10 and 12. During this time, the minimum temperature may remain around 7 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature around 17 degrees Celsius. Also, cloudy conditions may persist for the next two-three days.
The IMD has advised people to be cautious in all the states of North India keeping in mind the cold and fog. Wear warm clothes, use heaters and avoid going out in the morning and evening to avoid the cold.
"Cold day to severe cold day conditions at a few places over Uttar Pradesh on Thursday," the IMD stated. A yellow alert has been issued in the eastern parts of UP for Thursday and Friday.
A bulletin from the IMD read: "A fresh Western Disturbance and its interaction with easterly winds likely to affect Northwest India from January 10-12. Under its influence, light/moderate scattered to fairly widespread rainfall/snowfall is likely over the Western
Himalayan region and light/moderate isolated to scattered rainfall is likely over the plains of Northwest India and adjoining central India during the same period."
Thunderstorms may occur in some places in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan during the weekend. Hailstorm is also likely in parts of Rajasthan on January 11.