The Hindu Business Line : Fog cover persists in N-W but mercury up

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan. 4 There has been no respite from persisting fog conditions for Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, parts of sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Assam for the past day or two.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the fog cover would continue to hold for another three days even as a fresh western disturbance and its induced cyclonic circulation sat over the region.

Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and adjoining northwest Uttar Pradesh find themselves caught smack under the weather-making upper air systems, which are expected to move away east-northeast soon.

This would bring another cold wave into play over these regions currently ‘warmed up’ by the steam engine holding together the front-end of the system.

On Saturday, the lowest minimum temperature 3 degree Celsius over the plains of northwest India was recorded at Narnaul (Rajasthan). But Amritsar had recorded 1.8 degree Celsius only the previous day.

Mercury up

The IMD said in its update that minimum temperatures were above normal by 5-6 degrees Celsius over west Rajasthan, Saurashtra, Kutch and Daman-Diu.

They were above normal by 3-4 degree Celsius over the rest of Rajasthan and Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, northwest Uttar Pradesh and above normal by 2 degree Celsius over Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and some parts of Assam.

But they were below normal by 3-4 degree Celsius over east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, some parts of west Bengal and by 2 degress Celsius over the rest of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. These areas fell out of range of the ‘warming effect’.

In the south, the mercury had fallen appreciably over north interior Karnataka but slightly less so over southern peninsular India. The weakened anti-cyclone over the northwest allowed free run for the cold northwesterlies curling in from above the south peninsula.

Dry in South

The Regional Met Centre, Chennai, said in its update that dry weather prevailed over Tamil Nadu, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Telangana, Kerala, Lakshadweep and Karnataka.

The minimum temperature fell appreciably over north interior Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala and north Tamil Nadu.

Belgaum Airport and Bijapur recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 11 degree Celsius in the plains of the region, representing an improvement of the previous minimum.

The IMD said that isolated rain or thundershowers are likely over Andaman and Nicobar islands as well as coastal Tamil Nadu over the next few days.

As if preparing the ground, the trough of low over southeast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal had shifted to southwest and adjoining southeast Bay.

Remnant system

The US Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System saw the dying anti-cyclone leaving behind a circulation over the Lakshadweep region during this week. This is later shown to move east and settle over the southwest Bay although briefly.

This could have implications for the emerging wet regime for the southern peninsula, though the US-based Centre for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies seemed to bet on the possibility while being less confident on the extent and intensity.

The IMD has forecast rain or snow at a few places over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the next 24 hours. Rain or thundershowers is likely at isolated places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, north Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh.

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