The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has informed that the minimum temperatures in December are likely to remain above normal in most parts of the country, except some areas of central and north India. The maximum temperatures are also likely to be above normal over most parts of the country.
The IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told PTI that the occurrence of cold waves over north, northwest, central, east and northeast parts of the country during the upcoming winter season (December 2023 to February 2024) is likely to remain below normal.
IMD’s Rainfall forecast
Mohapatra said that the monthly rainfall for December is most likely to be above normal across the country. He said that above-normal rainfall is most likely over most parts of the northwest, adjoining areas of central and east India and some areas of extreme south peninsular India. Below normal rainfall is likely over many parts of northeast India, north peninsular India and adjoining areas of central India.
The IMD said that Friday’s Western Disturbance is now seen as a cyclonic circulation over south Haryana and neighbourhood. There is also a cyclonic circulation over Southwest Madhya Pradesh and another over the Northeast Arabian Sea and adjoining North Maharashtra-Gujarat coasts.
A trough runs from the cyclonic circulation over the Northeast Arabian Sea and adjoining North Maharashtra-Gujarat coasts to Southeast Madhya Pradesh. Under this influence, Light rainfall and snowfall are expected at isolated places over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
Light rainfall is also likely to take place at isolated places over East Uttar Pradesh and East Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Vidarbha during upcoming days. Isolated heavy rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning is also likely over Chhattisgarh.
Also, Dense fog in isolated pockets over Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and North Rajasthan during the morning hours of and over Assam and Meghalaya, starting today.
Delhi-NCR
NCR recorded a minimum temperature of 13.3 degrees Celsius on Friday, three notches above the season’s average. The relative humidity was recorded as 100 per cent at 8.30 am The weather office has predicted shallow to moderate fog on upcoming days.
Rajasthan
According to the IMD, there is a possibility of light rain in some parts of Kota and Udaipur divisions of eastern Rajasthan for the next two to three days. It said the weather will be mainly dry in most other places.
There is a possibility of dense fog at some places in the state for the next two to three days and the minimum temperature will drop by 2-3 degrees Celsius, the officials said.
Jammu & Kashmir
The Met Office said several places experienced partly to generally cloudy weather with light snow over Sonamarg and adjoining areas. However, it said, there would be a significant improvement in the weather towards the afternoon over most places and the weather is likely to remain dry ahead.
From Saturday to upcoming days, the weather would remain partly cloudy, while from December 8 to 10, it would be partly to generally cloudy, the officials said. There would be a fall in the minimum temperature by three to five degrees, they said. The night temperature rose significantly at several places in the Valley with Gulmarg being the only weather station where the mercury settled below the freezing point on Thursday night.
Himachal Pradesh
Wintry conditions set in most parts of Himachal Pradesh as high-altitude tribal areas, other higher hills and mountain passes experienced moderate snowfall while widespread rains and hailstorms lashed several places including state capital Shimla on Friday.
The local Meteorological station has predicted more rain and snow on Friday and dry weather thereafter till December 7.