The northern states of India will witness more cold waves till the end of the year, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted on Thursday. Delhi is already facing the longest cold wave in the month of December in 22 years.
“Considering the prevailing meteorological conditions, cold day to severe cold day conditions in many pockets are very likely to continue till December 29 over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and in some pockets over north Rajasthan, cold day conditions at isolated pockets also very likely over Madhya Pradesh and Bihar but abating thereafter,” IMD said in a statement.
As per the reports, the cold conditions are prevailing due to the persistence of cold northwesterly winds in lower levels over northwest India, and other favourable meteorological conditions.
According to the IMD, the most severity was observed on December 25, when majority of stations in the region recorded 7-12 degrees Celsius below average with actual maximum temperature of the day varying between 9-15 degrees Celsius.
“The lowest day maximum temperature on this date in the plains was reported at Ganganagar and Chandigarh with 9 degrees Celsius,” said the IMD statement.
On Wednesday, the national capital recorded a severely cold day with the maximum temperature dropping to 12.7 degrees Celsius. It was nine degrees below average. The minimum temperature was 6 degree Celsius which was two degrees below the average.
The IMD also predicts light/moderate isolated to scattered rain/thundershowers over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, north Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh between December 31, 2019 to January 2, 2020.
“Isolated thunderstorm/hailstorm at isolated places is also likely to occur over south Uttar Pradesh on January 1 & 2 2020,” it added.
Since December 15, many states in northern India are reeling under severe cold wave conditions.
(With inputs from IANS)