Weather update: Tamil Nadu to witness more rainfall, cold wave conditions to prevail in Northwest India- Full forecast here

IMD said there is a possibility of isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over coastal Tamilnadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during next 2 days, while cold wave conditions are likely over Northwest India during this time.

New Delhi: India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday (January 1, 2022) predicted that coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal are likely to witness another day of isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall activity on Sunday (January 2, 2022). The weather department also added that northwest India would continue to witness cold wave conditions in the meantime. 

"A cyclonic circulation lies over southwest Bay of Bengal, off south Sri Lanka coast at middle tropospheric level. Under its influence, scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall activity is very likely to continue over coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal on Sunday and isolated heavy rainfall over the same region during subsequent 24 hours and decrease thereafter," the IMD said.

According to a news agency IANS report, a fresh active 'Western Disturbance' and its associated induced cyclonic circulation is likely to affect the northwest Indian region from January 3, and under its influence, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall/snowfall is likely during January 3 to 7 with the possibility of isolated heavy rainfall over Jammu and Kashmir on January 4 and 5 and over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on January 5, the IMD said, adding, isolated hailstorms are also likely over Jammu and Kashmir on January 4 and 5 and over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on January 5.

The report also added that scattered to fairly widespread light/moderate rainfall is likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi, north Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh during January 5 to 7 and light isolated rainfall is also likely over west Madhya Pradesh on January 5. Isolated thunderstorms activity is likely over Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, accompanied by hail storms over Punjab on January 5.

Cold morning in Delhi

On the first day of the New Year, the Delhiites woke up to a cold morning with the minimum temperature settling at 4.2 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The weather department also stated that during a severe cold wave, the minimum temperature dips to 2 degrees or the departure from normal is more than 6.4 degrees. Additionally, Delhi-NCR is likely to receive its first rain of the year on January 5 and 6.

Uttar Pradesh wakes up to foggy morning

Many parts of the state, including Varanasi, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, Kanpur and Moradabad witnessed cold wave conditions and dense fog on Sunday morning. Earlier, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on January 1 had predicted dense fog in isolated pockets in night/morning hours over parts of Uttar Pradesh in the next 2 days.

Cold wave & dense fog witnessed in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

"Cold will come & go, but celebrating #NewYear, visiting the Kashi Vishwanath corridor & bathing in the Ganga River is very fortunate," says a visitor pic.twitter.com/YjXWrZNJPG — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) January 2, 2022

Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh witnesses dense fog as cold wave hits pic.twitter.com/5w0YjmBPZC — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) January 2, 2022

Rajasthan continues to reel under cold wave

Cold wave conditions prevailed in parts of Rajasthan with Fatehpur in Sikar district recording a low of 1.8 degrees Celsius, a Met department official said on Saturday. 

The minimum temperature in Karauli was 3 degrees Celsius, while it was 3.5 deg C in Sikar, 4.5 deg C in Alwar, 4.6 deg C in Pilani, 4.8 deg C in Nagaur, 5.3 deg C in Ganganagar, 5.8 deg C in Vanasthali and 6.9 degrees Celsius in Ajmer. 

Piercing cold sweeps Punjab

Biting cold wave conditions persisted in most places of Punjab and Haryana on Saturday, while some parts of the two northern states also witnessed dense fog.

Bathinda in Punjab was the coldest place as it recorded its minimum of one degree Celsius, three notches below normal, according to data provided by the Meteorological Department here.

Haryana reels under cold wave

Hisar in Haryana shivered at 2 degrees Celsius, five degrees below normal. In Haryana, Ambala, Karnal, Narnaul, Rohtak, Gurugram, Bhiwani and Sirsa recorded their minimum temperatures of 4.9, 3.8, 3, 4.4, 4.6, 5.1 and 4.2 degrees Celsius respectively.

The Union Territory of Chandigarh, which is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded its minimum at 5.1 degrees Celsius.

(With agency inputs)