Northwest India may wake up to cold waves, dense fog on New Year Day, overall January may not be as cold | India News
On the other hand, central India, including the entire Madhya Pradesh and adjoining areas in neighbouring states, will have a colder winter during January, showed a monthly forecast released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday.
In its short-term forecast, the Met department said, “Cold wave conditions in isolated pockets are very likely over Himachal Pradesh on January 1, over Punjab and west Rajasthan till January 4, over Haryana & Chandigarh and east Rajasthan till January 4, over Delhi during January 3-4, and over west Uttar Pradesh during January 1-2”.
Slightly less cold situation during January will, however, not adversely affect the Rabi crops, including wheat and mustard, as such a condition with minor variation in normal temperature doesn’t harm the standing crops. Even the less rainfall predicted during the winter will also not impact the farming as the Rabi (winter sown) crops don’t require much water for irrigation unlike the Kharif (summer sown) crops.
“During January, monthly minimum (night) temperatures are most likely to be below-normal (colder) over many parts of central India and adjoining areas of peninsular, east and northwest India. Above normal to normal minimum temperatures are most likely over southern parts of south Peninsula, many parts of northeast India and some parts of northwest India,” said IMD director general M Mohapatra.
On day (maximum) temperatures, he said, “Monthly maximum temperatures for January are likely to be below normal over many parts of central and peninsular India. Above normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of northeast India and some parts of northwest, east and east-central India.”
On rainfall, the IMD in its January-March forecast said, “During the upcoming winter season, the rainfall over the northwest India consisting of seven meteorological subdivisions (east UP, west UP, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh) is most likely to be below normal.”
As far as fog conditions are concerned for the next four days till January 4, the Met department said, “Dense to very dense fog in some/many pockets are very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and in isolated pockets over Bihar.”
Similar conditions are expected in isolated pockets over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand during next 3-4 days, and in sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, Assam & Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura during next 2 days.
