IMD Alert! Cold wave to intensify in northwest and central India in the next 3-4 days

While the last two days in the national capital saw no rain and was slightly less cold than previous weeks, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that Northwest and Central India, including Madhya Pradesh, will continue to face cold weather during the next three to four days. 

Regions like Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha are likely to experience isolated rainfall in the next 24 hours. Cold day conditions over Northwest India and Madhya Pradesh will persist during the next two days and abate thereafter. Cold day to severe cold day conditions prevailed in isolated pockets over Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi and West Madhya Pradesh and cold day conditions in isolated pockets over Uttarakhand, East Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, East Rajasthan, Vidarbha and Gujarat, observed IMD.

Fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall is very likely over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on 26th and isolated rainfall on 27th and 28th January. Isolated light rainfall is likely over Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the next five days. IMD in its forecast has also warned of lung-related health impacts.

"Dense fog contains particulate matter and other pollutants and in case exposed it gets lodged in the lungs, clogging them and decreasing their functional capacity which increases episodes of wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath," IMD said. (ANI)

As per the IMD, a cold wave is declared when the temperature goes below 4 degrees. A cold wave is also declared when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 notches less than normal.