January rains significantly above normal in north India, to be surplus in February too

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 1

The first month of the year has witnessed significantly surplus rain over north India, with the downpour being 375 per cent and 369 per cent above the long period average in agrarian states of Punjab and Haryana. Rain in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh was 87 per cent above normal.

Data compiled by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows that from January 1 till the morning of February 1, Punjab received 104.6 mm rain as compared to the normal of 22 mm for this period.

Haryana received 69.4 mm rain during the aforementioned period against the normal of 14.8 mm, while Himachal received 173.2 mm against the normal of 93.8 mm for the month.

A series of western disturbances and cyclonic circulations over north India and some other parts of the country have been attributed to the widespread rains and snow on several occasions in many parts of the region leading to a dip in day temperatures and cold wave conditions.

A weather bulletin issued by IMD today predicted wet spell over northwest India  from February 2-4 under the influence of a fresh western disturbance, resulting in fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall, hailstorm and snowfall over the western Himalayan region.

According to the weatherman, cold day conditions are likely over Punjab and Haryana over the next 48 hours, with dense fog expected in isolated pockets in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

IMD has also predicted that the minimum temperature over most parts of the region will rise by 2-3 degree Celsius over the next two days, but thereafter fall by 3-5 degree Celsius.

In its monthly forecast for February issued on January 31, IMD has said that rainfall over north India, including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand and West Uttar Pradesh is likely to be 21 per cent above the long period average.

IMD’s probabilistic temperature forecast from February has further indicated that below normal minimum as well as below normal maximum temperatures are expected to prevail over north India as well as in some other parts of the country during the month.

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