Severe cold wave spreads to central, eastern parts

India Meteorological Department (IMD) sees no significant change in minimum and maximum temperatures over north-west and central India over the next two to three days.

During the 24 hours ending Friday morning, severe cold wave conditions entrenched themselves over central and east India.

Severe cold wave conditions prevailed in some parts of Vidarbha while cold wave conditions prevailed in parts of Jharkhand and at isolated places in Bihar, east Uttar Pradesh and north Punjab.

COLD DAY
Cold day conditions were reported from Haryana and in remaining parts of Punjab as fog prevented the sun's heating to filter to ground.

Minimum temperatures were below normal by 2 to 5 deg Celsius over parts of east Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa and interior Maharashtra.

The lowest minimum temperature of -0.2 deg Celsius was recorded at Amritsar during the last 24 hours. Dense fog conditions have been prevailing over most parts of Punjab, Haryana, north Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Light northwesterly light winds were prevailing over Indo-Gangetic plains of north-west India in lower levels.

Forecast up to Monday warned of fog to dense fog in the morning over many parts of Indo-Gangetic plains. Cold wave conditions over parts of east Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, interior Orissa and Vidarbha are seen sustaining during this period.

Cold day conditions would continue over parts of Punjab, Haryana and north Rajasthan, before abating.

RAINS FORECAST

Meanwhile, isolated to scattered rainfall activity is being forecast over parts of northwest and adjoining central India from Tuesday onwards in association with the arrival of a western disturbance featuring the deepest of the troughs seen so far during this season.

The steaming head of the system is characterised by lower pressure and ascending motion of air that in turn leads to precipitation. This would be the first time that a westerly system crossing in from the north-west is able to bring rains over the plains and adjoining central India.

According to the US National Centre for Environmental Prediction), the week ending January 15 would see the cold wave and occasional fog make their alternating appearance.

But the week that follows (January 16 to 24) would see the chill make a further dip into east India and adjoining east-central India. Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal are shown to come under the grip of bitter cold during this period.


Meanwhile in the south, the outlook for impact from an easterly wave and associated precipitation over the peninsula has been retained.

According to the Chennai Met Centre, isolated light rain has occurred over Tamil Nadu during the 24 hours ending Friday morning.

Forecast until Sunday spoke about the possibility of rain or thundershowers at many places over coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. A cyclonic circulation lay over coastal Tamil Nadu and adjoining south-west Bay of Bengal.

Isolated rain or thundershowers are also likely to occur over interior Tamil Nadu and south coastal Andhra Pradesh. An NCEP forecast said that the whole of the peninsula, north-northeastward from the west coast may get scattered rains over the next week.

The IMD forecast spoke about the possibility of scattered rainfall over south peninsular India until Wednesday, up to which forecasts were available.