North India Shivers After Significant Drop in Temperature; Ground Frost Conditions Likely in Punjab, Rajasthan

According to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) latest bulletin, numerous portions of northwest India, including Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, must prepare for ground frost conditions beginning Saturday, December 18. 

Apart from that, dense to extremely dense fog and cold wave conditions have been anticipated for states and union territories (UTs) in the northwest part of India. 

The Met department warned on Thursday that cold wave conditions, which are common during the winter season in northwest and central India, are likely to develop across Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, and north Rajasthan between December 18 and 20. 

It further stated that between December 17 and 19, light to moderate rainfall or snow is anticipated over the western Himalayan region. 

The upper areas of Kashmir on Thursday received light snowfall as a cold wave passed through various regions of the valley, with Srinagar recording minus 3.8 degrees Celsius at night. Gulmarg's temperature dropped to - 8.6 degrees Celsius. 

Meanwhile, Delhi recorded the season's lowest maximum temperature of 19.8 degrees Celsius on Thursday, three degrees below normal, while the minimum temperature rose marginally to 8.7 degrees Celsius. 

According to the latest IMD bulletin, minimum temperatures will gradually fall by 2-3 degrees Celsius in most regions of northwest India and Maharashtra, and by 3-5 degrees Celsius in the majority of central India during the next four days. 

Cold wave conditions 

Cold wave conditions are expected to hit Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh during the next four days (till December 21), according to the IMD. 

The same weather alert has been issued for north Rajasthan for the next five days, Gujarat for the next three days, and west Uttar Pradesh between December 19 and 21. 

Severe cold wave conditions 

North Rajasthan is expected to experience severe cold wave conditions over the next three days, in addition to the cold wave conditions. According to the IMD bulletin, the similar weather alert was issued for Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh on December 19 and 20. 

Fog conditions 

Isolated pockets of Punjab are anticipated to experience dense to extremely dense fog in the morning hours between December 18 and 20, with similar conditions expected in Haryana and Chandigarh on December 18 and 19, and across north Rajasthan on December 18. 

Northeastern states of Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Assam have been forecasted to experience dense fog on December 18 and 19. 

Ground frost conditions 

According to the IMD bulletin, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and north Rajasthan may also see ground frost conditions in isolated pockets during the morning hours during the next three days. 

Rainfall warning 

According to IMD, a low-pressure area lies over the central parts of southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining the equatorial Indian ocean with an associated cyclonic circulation.  

In the next 48 hours or by December 19, the low-pressure region is expected to travel east-northeastward and become more "marked." 

Because of this, mild to moderate rainfall is expected in a few or numerous parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands between December 18 and 20. The IMD report predicts heavy rain on the 19th and 20th of December in Nicobar Islands.