The Hindu Business Line : Cold snap, frost to return to northwest regions

North and northwest India are poised to huddle themselves into another cold snap with the India Meteorological Department predicting ground frost conditions developing in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan during the next two nights.

This will essentially happen with a prevailing western disturbance that ‘whitened’ the hills and drained some moisture over the plains, moving out to the east. The snowfall in the western Himalayas would taper off significantly during next 24 hours.

RIDGE PLAY

A semi-permanent ‘ridge’ would come into play over the Pak-Afghan border to suppress the movement of western disturbances into northwest India for sometime. This will naturally be followed by a building cold wave, which, according to forecasts, may be lifted with the ‘ridge’ getting replaced around February 18.

The Ensemble Forecasting System of the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Centre of the US Navy and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting see the ‘ridge’ getting pushed to the east in this manner, opening up the corridor for western disturbances once again to travel into India.

MERCURY TO FALL

Current meteorological analysis suggest that cold northwesterly winds are likely to set in over the northwest and adjoining central India leading to fall in minimum temperatures by 3-4° C over the region during next three days. Prevailing cold wave conditions over parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra (from where the western disturbance has already cleared) are also likely to continue.

In the east, isolated rain/thundershowers are likely over Chhattisgarh, east Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha. Fall in minimum temperatures by 2-3 °C has been forecast here also as have cold wave conditions over west Madhya Pradesh. Scattered rainfall is likely over the northeast.

MOISTURE SEEPAGE

In the south, tropical moisture has seeped in from the eastern seas and is gradually spreading in a north-northeast direction over Sri Lanka and along India’s southeast coast. During the 24 hours ended Friday morning, rainfall occurred at a few places over south Tamil Nadu, Kerala and south interior Karnataka.

Forecast for the next few days said rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at a few places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Lakshadweep. Isolated rain or thundershower is likely to occur over Kerala and coastal Andhra Pradesh.

More Stories on : Climate & Weather

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page