Westerly bides time even as successor forecast by Feb 20

Mainly dry weather prevailed over the country through the day until Friday evening, even as the ‘active’ western disturbance bid its time across the northwest border.

This is even as the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts has mounted a forecast for another ‘active’ western disturbance around February 20.

As per this outlook, not just northwest India and adjoining east India, even the east coast and adjoining southern peninsula may get wet as the westerly system dipping low over east India draws in a likely easterly wave/weather circulation towards itself to set off rains along the coast and into the south.

Meanwhile, during the 24 hours ending Saturday morning, maximum temperatures rose, as are their wont during this phase of transit of a westerly system, between by 1 to 3 deg Celsius above normal over many parts of Gujarat, northwest and adjoining central India.

They were above normal by 2 to 4 deg Celsius over many parts of Rajasthan,Gujarat, central and east India, the IMD said.

Minimum temperatures may rise by another 2 to 3 deg Celsius over northwest India, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra on Sunday and Monday.

Maximum temperatures too may look up by 2 to 4 deg Celsius over the plains of northwest India and adjoining central India on Sunday.

Isolated heavy rain or snowfall are slated to unfold over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh on Saturday (today) and Sunday as the westerly system entrenches itself over the region.

Satellite imagery early on Saturday morning showed convective clouds building in anticipation over parts of Jammu and Kashmir and, as part of continuing easterly activity, over southwest Bay of Bengal in the south as well.

Less result-oriented ‘low to medium’ clouds were seen over many parts of the rest of western Himalayan region and parts of Punjab, Haryana, west Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Arunachal Pradesh.

The IMD persisted with its outlook for the ‘active’ western disturbance to dictate weather over the western Himalayan region for the five days.

The plains of northwest India are expected to witness peak activity from Sunday to Tuesday and Gangetic plains on Tuesday and Wednesday, in line with the eastward movement of the system.

A region-wise outlook valid until Tuesday said that fairly widespread rain or snowfall would occur over the western Himalayas.

Scattered rain or thundershowers would occur over Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana and Delhi from Sunday onwards.

Extended forecast until Thursday said that fairly widespread rain or snowfall with isolated heavy falls would occur over western Himalayan region.

Scattered rain or thundershowers would occur over Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

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