New Delhi: Large parts of North and East India are expected to ring in the New Year under severe weather conditions, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing alerts for dense fog, cold waves, and fresh snowfall between December 31 and January 3.
The forecast indicates that a combination of weather systems, including a western disturbance, will impact daily life across several states. While the plains will grapple with frigid temperatures and low visibility, the Himalayan region is set to receive more snow.
Snowfall in the Himalayas
According to the IMD bulletin, isolated to widespread rainfall and snowfall is very likely over Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad on December 31 and January 1. During the same period, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are also expected to receive light to moderate rain or snow at isolated to scattered locations.
Cold Wave and Dense Fog Grip Plains
The northern plains are bracing for a sharp drop in temperatures. Cold wave conditions are predicted for isolated areas in Himachal Pradesh, while East Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will likely experience ‘cold day’ to ‘severe cold day’ conditions.
Visibility is expected to be a major issue due to dense to very dense fog. The IMD has warned of thick fog at many places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. Similar conditions are also forecast for parts of Odisha, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, and Meghalaya on select days.
Thunderstorms and Gusty Winds
The weather disturbance will also trigger thunderstorm activity in different parts of the country. Isolated places over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands may experience thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-40 kmph.
Similar thunderstorm alerts have been issued for Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand in the north, as well as for Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal in the south. In marine areas, squally winds gusting up to 65 kmph are likely along the Somalia coast and the Gulf of Mannar, prompting warnings for fishermen.
The IMD has attributed the prevailing weather to the influence of a western disturbance, along with upper air cyclonic circulations and troughs affecting multiple regions across the country.
