New Delhi: The cold wave continues to intensify across large parts of India, with temperatures dipping sharply after recent rainfall in north-western states. Chilly winds and falling mercury levels have led to severe cold conditions, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a three-day cold wave alert for several regions.
According to IMD, cold wave conditions are likely to prevail over Rajasthan, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, with dense fog expected during morning hours in many districts. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are likely to witness intense cold accompanied by snowfall.
The impact of winter is also being felt in central and eastern India. IMD has warned of cold wave conditions over parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand during the next three days, as temperatures continue to drop.
In Northeast India, states including Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Mizoram are expected to experience cold wave conditions along with dense fog during early mornings.
Meteorologists attribute the worsening winter conditions to an active western disturbance, which is currently affecting north India and is expected to remain active for the next few days. Another western disturbance is forecast to impact the region between January 26 and January 28, bringing widespread weather changes.
On January 27, heavy rainfall and snowfall are likely over Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, while light rain is expected over Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and northern Rajasthan. IMD has also issued heavy rainfall warnings for Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Strong winds ranging between 40–50 kmph, thunderstorms, lightning and even hailstorms are likely in isolated areas. Several regions, including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, may witness light to moderate rain with gusty winds of 30–40 kmph on January 27 and 28.
IMD has further warned that temperatures may fall by 3 to 6 degrees Celsius over the next 48 hours, with dense fog expected on the mornings of January 26 and 27.
In contrast, southern India is witnessing relatively milder winter conditions. IMD has stated that no major temperature change is expected over south interior Karnataka and parts of Telangana during the next three days, with light winter conditions continuing.
