The Hindu Business Line : Moist to wet conditions may last till Jan-end

Cold wave conditions are forecast to continue over isolated pockets of Jammu Division and Punjab until Monday but some respite is on offer Wednesday onwards ahead of the arrival of a western disturbance with its steaming facade.

Indications are that the semi-permanent trough over Afghanistan-Pakistan would continue to determine weather over northwest India during the week ahead promising moist to wet conditions. This is so because the trough will facilitate the passage of rain-bearing cloud-heads of varying sizes forming part of the larger seasonal snowstorms proceeding in from the Mediterranean/west Atlantic.

MAY LAST

In fact, the US National Centres for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) suggests that these conditions would prevail right till the end of the month. Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and west Uttar Pradesh can hopefully look to receiving some precipitation during the week ending January 20.

A forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said that isolated rain/snowfall is likely over Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours. Isolated rain/thundershowers are also likely over sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh as remnants of an eastward-bound western disturbance negotiated the eastern Himalayan reaches.

RAIN/SNOW LIKELY

Model predictions suggest that a western disturbance is likely to approach the hilly regions of North-West India around Wednesday. Under its influence, scattered to fairly widespread rain/snowfall is expected over the hilly regions during the following four days, while isolated to scattered rainfall activity is likely the plains.

Scattered to fairly widespread rain/snowfall is expected over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during these days. Isolated to scattered rainfall activity is expected over Punjab, Haryana and some parts of west Uttar Pradesh too.

The NCEP model says that thundershowers will break out over north Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh during the week ending January 20.

The following week would witness more-or-less similar foot print of rainfall prevail except in the west Uttar Pradesh, which may experience comparatively dry weather. Concurrently, a passing easterly wave might drop its contents over extreme south peninsula.