Cold wave unlikely in northwest India for next 5 days, predicts IMD

New Delhi, Jan 19: Cold wave conditions abated in some parts of north India Thursday and another bout of intense cold is unlikely during the next five days, the India Meteorological Department said Thursday.

According to the weather department, cold wave conditions prevailed in pockets of south Haryana, east Rajasthan, north Madhya Pradesh and Bihar on Thursday. Minimum temperatures settled in the range of 2 to 5 degrees Celsius in some parts of north Madhya Pradesh and isolated parts of Haryana and east Uttar Pradesh, it said, as reported by PTI.

"No cold wave conditions over north India during the next five days," the IMD said in a statement. "Another active western disturbance... is very likely to affect the western Himalayan region from the night of January 20 till January 26 and the plains of northwest India from January 23 to January 25," the IMD said.

Under its influence, light to moderate rain and snowfall is likely over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on January 20 to 22. The intensity and distribution are likely to increase between January 23 and January 26.

Light to moderate rainfall and thundershower is likely over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, north Rajasthan and West Uttar Pradesh from January 23 to January 25 and 26.

When a western disturbance -- a weather system characterised by warm moist winds from the Middle East -- approaches a region, the wind direction changes. The chilly northwesterly winds from the mountains stop blowing, leading to an increase in temperatures.

A severe cold wave is when the minimum temperature dips to 2 degrees Celsius or the departure from the normal limits is by more than 6.4 notches.

In the plains, a cold wave is declared if the minimum temperature dips to four degrees Celsius or when it is 10 degrees Celsius and 4.5 notches below normal.