In mid-February, why is it snowing in J&K and Himachal Pradesh and raining in Delhi? What Can We Expect in the Next Days?

Light to heavy rains are falling over Delhi at night, and the temperature drops to between 15 and 17 degrees Celsius in the morning. Light rains are expected in several areas of Delhi today, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). However, why is it raining today? The unseasonal rainfall have been ascribed to Western Disturbances by the IMD.

There have been five rainy days in Delhi so far in February. There was no rain in the capital during the same month the previous year.

“A western disturbance was the cause of the rain,” IMD scientist Naresh Kumar said to IMD. There is a chance of rain, thunderstorms, and hailstorms for the next two days in northwest India, which includes the western Himalaya area. India’s temperatures are typical, and there is now no chance of a heatwave.

Let’s examine what Western Disturbances are specifically and how they result in rain.

Rain falls in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent due to moisture-laden winds known as “Western Disturbances” or “Extra Tropical Storms,” which originate in the Mediterranean or Caspian Seas. The precipitation pattern is non-monsoonal and is influenced by the westerlies. This region of low pressure brings with it unexpected rains, snowfall, and fog to Northwest India.

A Western Disturbance is created when cold air from Polar regions intrudes into an area of comparatively warmer, more humid air, as a result of high pressure over regions such as Ukraine and neighboring nations. An extratropical depression that is moving eastward in the sea is encouraged to develop by the shift in pressure from cold to warm air, which creates favorable circumstances for cyclogenesis in the upper atmosphere. After that, these winds leave Iran and go across Afghanistan and Pakistan across the Middle East before entering the Indian subcontinent.

WESTERN DISTURBANCES’ IMPACT
India is mostly an agricultural country, therefore the winter rains are beneficial for rabi crops like wheat, which are cultivated in certain areas. Four or five western disturbances occur throughout the winter.

Although the rain drops the temperature, in north and central India (Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh) it kills crops in the winter months.

Because of the unwelcome monsoonal rains, the IMD has urged farmers to postpone harvesting wheat and other rabi crops. Additionally, it instructed farmers to gather and store products like chickpeas and mustard in safe places.

Landslides, floods, and avalanches may also result from the extreme rain brought on by the Western Disturbances. It sometimes delivers thick fog and circumstances akin to a cold wave to the plains of the Indo-Gangetic region.

PROJECTION FOR THE SHORT TERM.
In Uttar Pradesh, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnaur, Amroha, Moradabad, Garhmukteshwar, Rampur, Siyana, Sambhal, Billari, Milak, Chandausi, Anupshahar, Bahajoi, and Bareilly were all expected to have mild to moderate rain, according to the IMD.

In addition to the National Capital Region, the Srinagar area in Jammu and Kashmir was also battered by strong rains. In Rajasthan and Haryana, there were thunderstorms with mild to moderate rain.

The IMD said that there were scattered reports of hail across Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, and northern Rajasthan.

The IMD has forecast light to moderate rainfall across northeast Rajasthan on February 21 with thunderstorms and lightning throughout Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh through February 22.

The Western Himalayan Region is expected to be affected by a new Western Disturbance starting on February 24. This disturbance may result in mild to moderate rain and snowfall throughout the region from February 24 to 26.

There are also forecasts for significant amounts of snow and rain in the northeast.