Colder days ahead, temperatures to drop in several states including Delhi, UP - Check IMD's weather alert

The India Meteorological Department has predicted that the minimum temperatures in northwest and central India are likely to drop by three to five degrees Celsius over the next few days.

Representational Image (ANI)

New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday (January 24, 2022) said that the minimum temperatures in the northwest and central India are likely to drop by three to five degrees Celsius over the next few days.

The met department said that the drop in minimum temperatures will lead to cold day conditions in Delhi and a cold wave in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

It also said that the minimum temperatures is likely to fall by 4-5°C in East India during the subsequent four days.

"Cold wave to severe Cold wave conditions are very likely over Rajasthan on January 27, 28 and Cold wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets over Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh during January 25-29," the IMD said in a weather bulletin.

Cold wave conditions are very likely over Gujarat Region during the next four days, over Rajasthan during the next five days, over West Uttar Pradesh during January 27–29, over north Madhya Maharashtra on January 26, 27 and over East Uttar Pradesh on January 28 and January 29," the IMD added.

Cold wave conditions very likely over Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh during 25th-29th; over Gujarat Region during next 4 days over Rajasthan during next 5 days; over West UP during 27th–29th; over north Madhya Maharashtra on 26th & 27th and over East UP on 28th & 29th on Jan, 2022. — India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) January 24, 2022

According to the IMD, a "cold day" is when the minimum temperature is less than 10 degrees Celsius and the maximum is at least 4.5 degrees Celsius below normal. A "severe" cold day is when the maximum temperature is at least 6.5 notches below normal.

In the plains, the IMD declares a cold wave if the minimum temperature dips to 4 degrees Celsius. A cold wave is also declared when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 notches less than normal.

A "severe" cold wave is when the minimum temperature dips to 2 degrees Celsius or the departure from normal is more than 6.4 degrees Celsius.

IMD also predicted dense to very dense fog in parts of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Sikkim, Meghalaya and Tripura over the next two to three days.

It is noteworthy that when visibility due to fog is reduced to the range of 0 to 50 metres, it is categorised as "very dense" fog, between 51 and 200 metres, it is "dense" fog, between 201 and 500 metres "moderate", and it is categorised as "shallow" if the visibility is between 501 and 1,000 metres. 

(With agency inputs)