Residents of the national capital awoke to light precipitation on Sunday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting a continuation of generally cloudy skies featuring sporadic light rain and gusty winds. This was no surprise as the IMD, in a prior announcement, cautioned of a wet spell forecasted from February 3 through February 5, peaking on February 4. These showers, sweeping across Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, are attributed to a western disturbance that transversed northwest India.
As the effects of the recent wet weather persist, another disturbance is set to bring heavy snowfall and showers to hill states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. IMD Scientist Naresh elaborates on the incoming weather, stating that nearly all mountainous stations may witness snowfall and rainfall, with heavy snow expected in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh on February 4, and light hailstorms likely in other northern regions.
The western disturbance has not only ushered in rainfall but also altered wind patterns. Naresh explains that these disturbances are causing a rise in temperature, meaning that, unlike typical expectations for early February, a cold wave is unlikely to strike north India. Instead, temperatures are predicted to be on the rise, with dense fog anticipated only in scattered areas in the coming mornings. In this vein, Lokesh, another expert, forecasts a tapering of showers for Delhi around February 3 and February 4. Overall, northwest India braces for a reprieve from extreme cold but expects an umbrella-worthy start to the month of February.