Minimum temperatures continued to drop in most parts of northwest India on Sunday and Monday. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of only 6.3 degrees C, 5 degrees below normal.
On Sunday, Gulmarg recorded a minimum temperature of -7.3 degrees C, 5.3 degrees C below normal; Palampur recorded 2 degrees Celsius, 6.9 degrees C below normal; Hisar recorded 7.7 degrees C, 3.5 degrees C below normal; Bathinda recorded 5.4 degrees C, 3 degrees C below normal; Kota recorded 9.3 degrees C, 6 degrees C below normal and Mt Abu recorded 1 degrees C, 4.9 degree C below normal.
“The cold in the plains in a result of snowfall in the hills. Cold winds blowing from snow-laden western Himalayas have led to a dip in the mercury, the minimum will rise by 2-3 degree C from Monday when a fresh western disturbance affects the region,” said Kuldeep Shrivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre.
In Delhi, the lowest ever minimum temperature was recorded on November 28, 1938, when the minimum was 3.9°C, IMD data shows. The regional meteorological centre, Delhi, said there is a cold wave in the Capital.
A cold wave is declared when minimum temperature is under 10 degree C and the departure from normal is 4.5 degree C for more than a day.
Under the influence of the western disturbance, scattered to fairly widespread rain or snow very likely over Western Himalayan Region between November 23 and 26. Isolated heavy rain or snow is also very likely over Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad and Himachal Pradesh on November 25. Minimum temperatures are likely to drop substantially after the WD passes.
Meanwhile, the well-marked low-pressure area over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal has concentrated into a depression over southwest Bay of Bengal about 700 km south-southeast of Puducherry and 740 km south-southeast of Chennai. It is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours. It is likely to cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram on November 25. This is the first cyclone of the post monsoon season in Bay of Bengal, another very severe cyclonic storm, Gati, over Arabian Sea has crossed Somalia and is likely to gradually weaken.
Fishermen are advised not to venture into equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining central parts of South Bay of Bengal on November 22; over southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal, Gulf of Mannar and along and off Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts during November 22 to 25. “We are expecting extremely heavy rain along the Tamil Nadu, Rayalseema region. There may be some damage due to strong winds and rain when the storm moves inland,” said RK Jenamani, senior scientist, National Weather Forecasting Centre.