New Delhi:
Fresh snowfall and more showers are on the way for North India as intense cold waves swept many parts of India. The MeT has predicted above-normal rains for India in January, following December’s excess downpour. The number of cold wave days are expected to be above-normal as well, it said.
This comes as 2024 ended with the wettest December since 2001. The rainfall over the country was 73 per cent above the long-period average (LPA) with continuous spells over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand as well as Jammu and Kashmir. A total of seven western disturbances impacted northern India as compared to the month’s usual of four to five.
These extra-tropical storms are responsible for most of the winter rain in India, and their subdued activity led to a snowless December last year. This time, however, at least three of them from Dec 7 to 10, December 21 to 23 and December 26 to 30 were intense and brought widespread rains as well as the season’s first snowfall.
“At least two successive western disturbances are set to impact North India in the first week of January. While the first spell is expected to be intense and cause heavy snowfall in the hills, the second may be slightly weak. The rainfall activity is expected to pick up in the plains around January 5 to 7,” said IMD chief Dr M Mohapatra on Wednesday.
In a piece of good news for the Himalayan states, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted above-normal rains over India in January – at least 122 per cent above the long-period average (LPA). This augurs well for Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which often face water woes if the season’s snowfall is low as well as horticulturists and the tourism sector. More cold wave days are expected too.
Minimum temperatures are likely to drop further from January 10 to 16, during which more cold waves are expected. Many areas of Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh are already facing freezing temperatures and higher snowfall since December. The mercury is hovering between 4°C to 9°C over northwest India.
It was not just north India, but the southern peninsula also remained under the grip of continuous rain spells. The monthly rainfall was an astounding 185 per cent above-normal due to an active northeast monsoon, as well as low pressure systems and cyclone ‘Fengal’. Most of the extremely heavy rainfall events were recorded in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
The IMD, however, said that overall rainfall during January to March (for the season as a whole) is likely to be below-normal though some parts could still witness normal rains.
