Cold wave to hit northwest India during New Year, IMD predicts

The cold day conditions over northwest India are expected to subside starting today, Wednesday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). However, over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura for the next three days, intense fog is predicted to persist.

Speaking to ANI, IMD scientist RK Jenamani said, “We are expecting relief from these cold wave conditions as western disturbance is approaching the Western Himalayan region. During the day, the sunshine will also bring some relief."

“Dense to very dense fog will continue to prevail in the belt. There will be an improvement on December 29 because of a western disturbance which will bring fresh snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir, Leh and Himachal Pradesh. There will be drizzle in north Punjab on December 29," the IMD scientist said. 

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RK Jenamani predicts that new cold wave conditions will return between December 31 and January 1.

At Aya Nagar in Delhi, the temperature dropped to 4.0 degrees Celsius, and there is still a cold wave in some remote areas. According to him, as quoted by ANI, "From December 28 onwards there will be a major improvement as the cold wave will depart owing to western disturbance."

Delhi's minimum temperature on Tuesday was 5.6 degrees Celsius, which was lower than the readings in Dharamsala (6.2 degrees Celsius), Dehradun (7 degrees Celsius), and Nainital (7.2 degrees Celsius).

According to IMD's forecast, the northern plains' temperature would climb by 2-4 degrees in the next three to four days before dropping back down.

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The meteorological office also forecasted that due to western disturbances, isolated to scattered light rainfall or snowfall is likely over the Western Himalayan Region on December 29 and 30.

A cold day is one in which the maximum temperature is at least 4.5 degrees below average and the minimum temperature is at least 10 degrees Celsius below average. When the maximum is 6.5 degrees or more below average, it is considered a very cold day.