Widespread rain covers up deficit, more likely this week

Even as widespread rain experienced in most parts of North India over the past 24 hours has overcome the severe deficit being faced by Punjab this month, there is a possibility of more rain later this week.

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“A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from January 14 night,” said a bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday.

Under its influence, isolated rainfall activity is expected in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on January 15 and 16, besides isolated-scattered rainfall and snowfall activity in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh from January 15 to 18, the bulletin added.

Till the current wet spell, Punjab was facing a rain deficit of 90 per cent for the month of January. With varying amounts of precipitation over the past two days, rain is now surplus by 27 per cent in the state.

From January 1 to Sunday morning, Punjab received 7.6 mm rainfall compared to the long-period average of 6.0 mm for the period, according to the IMD data. Over the past 24 hours, rainfall was surplus by a massive 1,320 per cent, with the recorded downfall being 7.1 mm against the normal of 0.5 mm.

In January, rainfall in the neighbouring state of Haryana has become surplus by 39 per cent, while it is deficient by 80 per cent in Himachal Pradesh. Till the current wet spell, it was below normal in these states by 92 per cent and 89 per cent, respectively.

A western disturbance as a cyclonic circulation lies over Punjab and its neighbourhood in lower to upper tropospheric levels, while an induced cyclonic circulation lies over central parts of north Rajasthan and its neighbourhood, which is being attributed to the ongoing rain spell over the plains in northwest India.

There has also been a rise in minimum temperature by 1 to 5°C in many parts of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi over the past 24 hours. Minimum temperature was appreciably above normal by 3.1 to 5°C at a few places in Punjab, according to the IMD.

A gradual fall in minimum temperature by 2-3°C is likely in northwest India over the next 48 hours, followed by a gradual rise by 2-4°C in the subsequent three days.

The weatherman has also predicted dense to very dense fog during night and early morning hours in many parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.