People walking through fresh snowfall in Srinagar captured the harsh winter conditions gripping large parts of northern India as the India Meteorological Department issued a warning for another spell of rain and snowfall. According to the IMD’s forecast released on Wednesday, a western disturbance is set to bring widespread precipitation to regions that are already experiencing an intense cold wave.
The weather department has predicted rain or snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh over the next two days, while Uttarakhand is likely to receive precipitation on January 27 and 28. The IMD said that a fresh wet spell with fairly widespread to widespread rainfall or snowfall is expected, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour, with gusts touching up to 60 kilometres per hour in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh on January 26 and 27.
An orange alert has been issued for heavy rainfall or snowfall at isolated locations in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba, Kullu, Kinnaur, and Lahaul-Spiti districts on January 27. Meanwhile, the meteorological department has placed Una, Bilaspur, Solan, and Sirmaur districts under a yellow alert, warning of possible hailstorms at isolated places on the same day.
In Kashmir, light rain or snowfall is expected at a few locations on January 28, after which the weather is likely to remain dry but cloudy for the following two days. The national capital has also been put under a yellow alert, with forecasts suggesting one or two spells of light rain accompanied by thunderstorms.
The IMD noted that winds in Delhi may strengthen to 30 to 40 kilometres per hour during the morning, with further light rain possible from afternoon till night, leading to slightly cooler temperatures ranging between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius.
Similar weather conditions are likely to prevail in neighbouring states such as Haryana, Chandigarh, and Punjab, which may experience light to moderate rainfall along with thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds on January 27. West Uttar Pradesh, East Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan are also expected to witness thunderstorms and gusty winds on the same day.
Further south, Madhya Pradesh may receive light rainfall with lightning on January 27 and 28, while Chhattisgarh is likely to see similar conditions on January 28. Bihar is expected to experience light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds on January 28, adding to the widespread impact of the western disturbance across multiple regions.