Cooler' March in north India; south, northeast see above normal temp: IMD

Several parts of the country, especially the north Indian plains, have witnessed a cooler March this year as the month saw long spells of rain in the region, the India Meteorological Department said.

However, parts of south India and northeast witnessed temperatures above normal, it said.

This was largely due to western disturbances, O P Sreejith, senior scientist with IMD's Long Range Forecast team, said.

Western disturbances are cyclonic storms that originate in the Mediterranean. They mostly bring snow to the hills. But an intense western disturbance also brings rain to north Indian plains.

Sathi Devi, head of the National Weather Forecast Centre of IMD, said the month of March witnessed intense western disturbance every week.

This has had an effect on the north Indian plains, she said. Mahesh Palwat, vice president, Skymet Weather also attributed cooler temperatures in March to western disturbance.

Usually, these cyclonic circulations move up in the upper latitudes in March. But this time, the effects of western disturbance was also observed in plains even in March, he said, adding another western disturbance is expected next week.

Even parts of central India like Madhya Pradesh saw below normal temperatures.

The IMD had predicted warmer than normal summer, especially in north India.