IMD forecasts rain for Delhi, north, central India in next 48 hours; cold spell thereafter

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NEW DELHI : Forecasting a fresh spell of moderate rainfall over central and adjoining northwest India, including Delhi, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Sunday said a fresh western disturbance will impact Western Himalayan regions in the next 48 hours. Issuing an orange alert for Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and parts of Rajasthan for Monday and Tuesday, the weather department’s bulletin said “A fresh rainfall spell likely over northwest and central India on January 8 and 9." The weather department also issued an alert for thunderstorms and hailstorms at isolated places in West Madhya Pradesh in the next 24 hours and East Rajasthan on Monday and Tuesday.

“There will be a temporary rise in maximum and minimum temperatures during this period. After the rain stops and the WD (western disturbance) moves away, temperatures are expected to drop again and we can expect cold wave conditions to set in over parts of northwest India," IMD director general M Mohapatra said.

Under the influence of western disturbance and its interaction with lower level easterly winds, light isolated rainfall/snowfall is likely over Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand on January 9 and over plains of Northwest India and Central India on January 8 and 9, IMD has warned. The weather department said, “light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning is also very likely in some pockets in Maharashtra from January 7 to 9 and in Gujarat on January 8 and 9" adding that “Isolated hailstorm is also likely in east Rajasthan on January 8 and 9 and in west Madhya Pradesh on January 8." Moreover, a light to moderate rainfall spell is also likely in south Peninsular