The Hindu Business Line : Stray showers break dry winter phase in north

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb. 2 The dry phase that marked the northwest Indian winter until two weeks ago has lifted at least for the time being with rain-bearing western disturbances of varying strength rolling in one after the other.

Northwest India usually suffers from drier conditions during La Nina years, according to observations made by the Climate Variations Research Programme at the Tokyo-based Frontier Research Centre for Global Change (FRCGC).

Most parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran also suffer dry conditions during La Nina years as per the pattern though no conclusive link with the seasonal western disturbance activity has been established.

“Suffice to say we get fewer disturbances during La Nina years,” according to Dr Swadhin Behera, Sub Leader at the FRCGC Climate Variations Research Programme.

FRESH WESTERLY

India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday a fresh western disturbance is approaching northwest India. It is likely to cause scattered precipitation over western Himalayas over a four-day-period from Tuesday.

Isolated rain or thundershowers are also seen for adjoining plains of northwest India on Thursday and Friday.

But the ‘steaming head’ of the fresh westerly system marked by rising air, convection and precipitation would help raise the mercury level by 2-4 deg Celsius over northwest, west and adjoining central India during the next three days.

MERCURY TO FALL

Short-to-medium range forecast available for the period until Saturday suggested scattered precipitation over the western Himalayan region while it would be isolated over the adjoining plains of northwest India.

A fall in minimum temperature by 2-3 deg Celsius is likely over northwest and west India from the weekend as the prevailing western disturbance takes leave.