Mercury rises in Delhi, north India; IMD forecasts rain, snow this week

Despite a slight rise in temperatures, a cold wave continues across Delhi and parts of north India, while fresh western disturbances are set to bring rain to the plains and snowfall in the hills

A severe winter chill tightened its grip on Delhi and large parts of north India on Monday, with the national capital continuing to reel under cold wave and dense fog conditions, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

 

Minimum temperatures in Delhi hovered between 6 and 7 degrees Celsius, around two to three degrees below normal, while the maximum struggled to cross 18 degrees Celsius amid persistent cold winds. Dense to very dense fog during early morning hours affected visibility across several parts of the city, disrupting road and rail movement. Similar conditions prevailed across Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where foggy mornings and cold days continued to cause discomfort.

 

IMD has warned that cold wave conditions are very likely at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh, while dense fog is expected to persist at isolated locations over Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar over the next 24 hours.

IMD forecasts rain in north-west plains later this week

Weather conditions are expected to gradually change from the middle of the week as a fresh western disturbance approaches north-west India. IMD forecasts light to moderate rainfall over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan between January 22 and 24.

 

Thunderstorm activity is also likely over parts of Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan during this period. While the rainfall may offer some relief from persistent fog, it could also intensify the cold due to cloud cover and moisture-laden winds.

 

Minimum temperatures across north-west India are expected to remain largely unchanged for the next four days, followed by a gradual rise of three to five degrees Celsius thereafter.

Snowfall likely to intensify across Himalayan states

In the higher reaches, rain and snowfall activity is set to intensify later this week. IMD has predicted fairly widespread snowfall over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh between January 22 and 24, with isolated heavy snowfall likely on January 23.

 

Uttarakhand is also expected to witness light to moderate rain and snowfall, turning widespread towards the end of the week. Minimum temperatures in popular hill stations such as Shimla, Manali and Gulmarg are expected to remain well below freezing, with night temperatures dipping to –5 to –8 degrees Celsius in some areas.

 

In contrast, southern and eastern India continue to experience relatively milder winter conditions. Minimum temperatures over Maharashtra are likely to remain steady over the next 24 hours before rising in the coming days. Parts of Gujarat and east India may see a gradual rise in night temperatures over the next three days.

 

No major rainfall activity is expected over peninsular India during this period, and weather conditions are likely to remain largely dry.