IMD Predicts Heavy Rain, Snow In J-K, Ladakh, Himachal; Orange Alert Issued

The IMD has predicted heavy snowfall and rains in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh over the next few days.

New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday predicted heavy rains and snowfall in several parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh over the coming two to three days. The IMD said the coming extreme weather, which would signal an early onset of winter in the hilly northern regions is due to an intense western disturbance.

This is the first intense western disturbance of the season and will influence northwest and central India till October 17, the IMD said as it issued an “orange” alert for these regions.

Western disturbances are weather systems that originate in the Mediterranean region and bring unseasonal rainfall to northwest India.

According to the weather agency, Punjab may also experience heavy rainfall on Monday under the influence of the western disturbance. Thunderstorms and lightning are predicted in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, west Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan during this period.

A cyclonic circulation has developed over central Pakistan and neighbouring regions under the influence of the western disturbance. It is likely to intensify further with the possibility of merging with a fresh western disturbance on October 15, the IMD said.

This system is expected to receive moisture from the Arabian Sea, leading to an increase in rainfall intensity and distribution over northwest India during the same period.

Dry northwesterly winds from the Himalayas are likely to prevail over northwest India in lower tropospheric levels after the passage of the western disturbance. As a result, temperatures are likely to fall by 2 to 4 notches from October 17 over the region.

The IMD uses four colour codes for weather warnings — green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action).

Delhi air quality dips

Meanwhile, the minimum temperature in Delhi on Saturday settled at 21.4 degree Celsius, two notches above the season’s average, the IMD said, even as the air quality in the national capital worsened.

Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 260, in the ‘poor’ category, around 8 am.

The IMD has predicted a mainly clear sky becoming partly cloudy towards afternoon or evening. The maximum temperature is likely to settle at 36 degrees Celsius.

The humidity at 8.30 am was recorded at 83 per cent, the weather agency said.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

(With PTI inputs)