Several parts of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan are very likely to reel under a severe cold wave till 18 January, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted.
In addition, cold wave conditions are expected to prevail in isolated pockets of the above-mentioned areas till 19 January. Similar conditions will also be seen in isolated pockets of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on 18 and 19 January; and in isolated areas of Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Saurashtra and Kutch on 18 January.
Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and West Uttar Pradesh will also see ground frost on 18 January.
Cold-day conditions will likely be seen in isolated pockets over sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on 17 and 18 January. Apart from this, no significant change in minimum temperatures will be seen over the plains of northwest India and Madhya Pradesh till the morning of 18 January.
Thereafter, there is expected to be a gradual rise of 4-6°C between 19 and 21 January, and no significant change from 22 to 24 January.
A gradual rise by 2-4°C in mercury levels may be seen over Gujarat till 20 January and there will be no significant change following that. The minimum temperatures will also not alter over the rest of northern India for the next four to five days.
In Bengaluru, foggy, misty and cold weather will prevail for the next of the week. While the maximum and minimum temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday are very likely to be around 30 and 13°C, the mercury may reach 16°C by the end of the week.
Further, dense fog will also likely be seen in isolated pockets during the night and morning hours in sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura from 17 to 20 January; over Bihar and Odisha from 17 to 19 January.
Rainfall forecast
Light or moderate isolated/scattered rainfall or snowfall may occur over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on 18 and 19 January, under the influence of a Western Disturbance.
Additionally, another active western disturbance in quick succession may affect the western Himalayan region from the night of 20 January and the adjoining plains of northwest India from 22 January.
Due to this, Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will also see light/moderate scattered to fairly widespread rainfall/snowfall from 20 to 24 January.
