An incoming western disturbance promises to lift minimum temperatures over north-west and adjoining central India by 2 to 3 degree Celsius from the frigid lows.

This might lead to abatement of cold wave conditions from north-west India over the next two days, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) outlook said.

HAILSTORM ALERT

The fresh westerly system would start affecting the western Himalayan region from Saturday and the plains of north-west India from Sunday. But it also raises the spectre of hailstorm for one or two places in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, north Rajasthan and north-west Uttar Pradesh. This could be bad news for farmers since hailstorms have been known to precipitate ‘lodging' in wheat plants.

An Insat cloud imagery on Friday afternoon showed convective clouds rising over some parts of north Jammu and Kashmir already.

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RAINS FORECAST

An IMD weather outlook said that rain or snow would break out at a few places in the western Himalayan region on Saturday and many places thereafter. Rain or thundershowers have also been forecast at a few places over the plains of north-west India on Sunday and Monday.

One or two places in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh could witness heavy rain or snowfall on these days.

COLD WAVE

Meanwhile, cold wave conditions are expected to persist over parts of Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and north Maharashtra on Saturday. The last 24 hours ending Friday morning saw these conditions persist over Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, east Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. Minimum temperatures ruled below normal in north Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, southwest Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh during this period.

Vinson@thehindu.co.in

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