According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast on 18th January, there will be widespread rainfall along with cold wave-like conditions in the entire northwest India next week.
IMD said, "Two western disturbances in quick sequence would affect northwest parts of the country during the next one week. The first disturbance would be quite strong and favorably located to cause harsh weather across northwest India from 19 to 22 January with peak intensity on 21 January”.
It had predicted widespread snowfall or rainfall over Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh between 20 and 22 January.
IMD also said that plains areas, especially Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi would also receive heavy rainfall with squally winds on 21 to 22 January.
After that, the second western disturbance would start affecting the western Himalayan region along with the plains of northwest India from 24 to 26 January. The department clarified that it would be of lesser intensity.
Moreover there will be fall in the maximum temperatures by 3 to 4 degrees Celsius over northwest part of the country from 21 January onwards.
IMD also said that "In view of cloudy sky and easterly and southeasterly winds, the minimum temperatures are also likely to increase by 4 - 6 degrees Celsius in the next four days”.
Because of a drop in maximum temperature and widespread rainfall, the IMD has also predicted dense to very dense fog that would engulf states like Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and north Rajasthan for the next 2-3 days.
On the other hand, the remaining parts of the country will be controlled by a dry weather. The maximum temperatures will be either average or warmer than normal in the Southern, Central, Western and North-Eastern part of India this weekend.
Meanwhile, air quality will remain poor-to-very-poor in main cities across India. Delhi is likely to witness the worst effect of the deteriorating air quality.
