The Hindu Business Line : Cold wave persists as frost retains bite

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb. 11 Prevailing cold wave conditions over Punjab, Haryana, the Jammu Division, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are likely to persist for at least three more days, according to the latest forecast by India Meteorological Department.

These conditions may even extend to some parts of East India during the period. A similar alert has been mounted with respect to ground frost conditions over parts of Punjab, Haryana, east Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh.

Ascension of a ridge (high pressure zone) to the crucial ‘weather guard’ position along the Pakistan-Afghan border and the current phase of winter (as in mid-February) should favour a situation where the mercury is able to find its feet sooner than later and stand pat with the normal, say weathermen.

But forecasts by international models indicated feeble disturbances could brush past the hills in the Jammu and Kashmir region around February 18 and beyond. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts saw chances of a region of low pressure developing along the border.

Both these regimes are suggestive of impending warmer climes. In east India, minimum temperatures are expected to fall by 2-4 °C over the next two days and cold wave conditions are likely over east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and adjoining Orissa.

BUSY IN SOUTHEAST

Meanwhile, isolated rain or thundershower activity persisted along the southeast coast and adjoining peninsular interior.

It is likely to hold good over coastal Orissa, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya.

An enabling trough running down from sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim to Kerala through Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and south interior Karnataka ensured that the rain footprint was spread out along a northeast-southwest geography.

Aiding this formation was a cyclonic circulation over east-central Arabian Sea off the Maharashtra-Gujarat coasts. This is precisely the system that has saved large parts of Maharashtra from the stinging bite of the cold wave in the immediate north and northwest. Forecast for the next few days said that isolated rain or thundershowers are likely over Madhya Maharashtra and Marathawada.

Forecasts by the Regional Met Centre, Chennai, said that rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at many places over coastal Andhra Pradesh and at a few places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Telangana, Rayalaseema, interior Karnataka and Lakshadweep.

Isolated rain or thundershowers are likely to occur over coastal Karnataka and Kerala. Isolated heavy rain is likely to occur over coastal Andhra Pradesh during the next two days, it added.

Medium-range forecasts said that isolated to scattered rainfall activity may continue over peninsular India over the next week.