Why is it Raining in Delhi, Snowing in J&K, Himachal in Mid-February? What to Expect in Coming Days?

Delhi is witnessing light to heavy rains at night, with morning temperature dropping to 15-17 degree Celsius. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted light showers in parts of Delhi today. But what is the reason behind this rain? The IMD has attributed the unseasonal rains to Western Disturbances.

Delhi has experienced five rainy days in February so far. In the corresponding month, last year, the capital recorded no rain.

IMD scientist Naresh Kumar told IMD, “Rain was due to a Western Disturbance. In the coming two days, in northwest India, including the western Himalaya region, there is a possibility of rainfall, thunderstorm and hailstorm. The temperatures all over India is normal and no possibility of a heatwave as of now.”

Let us understand what exactly is Western Disturbances and how they cause rain?

Western Disturbances or extra tropical storm are moisture-laden winds that originate from Mediterranean Sea or Caspian Sea and bring rain to the north-western parts of Indian sub-continent. It is a non-monsoonal precipitation pattern, which is driven by the westerlies. Northwest India experiences sudden showers, snowfall, and fog during this area of low pressure.

A Western Disturbance is formed by a high-pressure exhibited over the areas like Ukraine and neighbourhood countries causing the intrusion of cold air from Polar regions towards an area of relatively warmer air with high moisture. This change in pressure from cold air to warm air generates favourable conditions for cyclogenesis in the upper layer of the atmosphere, which promotes the formation of an eastward-moving extratropical depression in the sea. Then these winds travel across the middle-east from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan to finally enter the Indian sub-continent.

Impact of Western Disturbances

With India being dependent on agriculture, the winter rain is useful for rabi crops such as wheat, which is grown in certain regions. In the winter season, around four to five western disturbances occur.

While the rain lowers the temperature, it destroys crops during the winter season in north and central India, including Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.

The IMD had advised farmers to delay harvesting wheat and other rabi crops due to unwanted monsoonal rains. It also told farmers to harvest crops such as mustard and chickpeas and store them in secure locations.

The excessive rain due to Western Disturbances can also cause landslides, floods and avalanches. In the Indo-Gangetic plains, it occasionally brings cold wave conditions and dense fog.

Prediction for the Next Few Days

The IMD had predicted light to moderate rain in Muzaffarnagar, Bijnaur, Amroha, Moradabad, Garhmukteshwar, Rampur, Siyana, Sambhal, Billari, Milak, Chandausi, Anupshahar, Bahajoi, Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh.

Apart from the National Capital Region, heavy rains also lashed the Srinagar district in Jammu and Kashmir. Thunderstorms with light to moderate-intensity rain was witnessed in Haryana and Rajasthan.

Hailstorm recorded at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and north Rajasthan, the IMD stated.

The IMD has predicted light to moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorms and lightning in Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh till February 22; over northeast Rajasthan on February 21.

A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect Western Himalayan Region from February 24 night, which can cause light to moderate rain and snowfall over Western Himalayan Region from February 24-26.

Heavy rainfall and snowfall has also been predicted for the northeast.