Srinagar: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast scattered to fairly widespread rain or snow in Jammu and Kashmir in its outlook for next two weeks from December 20 to January 3 (2019).
According to a data by IMD the current weather Status and Outlook for next two weeks (20 December, 2018 to 3 January, 2019) it said scattered to fairly widespread rain/snow observed over Jammu and Kashmir and isolated to scattered over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on one or two days of the week.
On Sunday’s weather forecast the weather department said up in North India, a feeble Western Disturbance is moving across northern parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Therefore, the sky will remain cloudy to partly cloudy over the hills of North India. However, short spell of light rain and snow over isolated places in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be ruled out,” it said.
On Sunday the temperatures across the region plummeted to minus 17 in Drass area of Kashmir division in Ladakh region.
The icy cold winds blowing from the snow-clad mountains brought down the temperatures to minus 17.3 in Drass town on Sunday as the cold wave intensified in the Kashmir Valley.
The local MeT department, however, said there will no relief from the intense weather for the next five days.
The Kashmir Valley is passing through the 40-day long period of harsh winter ‘Chillai Kalan’ which will end on January 30.
Srinagar recorded minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, Pahalgam minus 6.7 and Gulmarg minus 5.5.
Drass in Kargil district was the coldest place, while Leh recorded minus 14.3 and Kargil minus 14.5 degrees Celsius.
Jammu city was at 6.7, Katra 6, Batote 1.5, Bannihal minus 0.9 and Bhaderwah was at 0.1.
Also, IMD said due to the prevalence of dry and cold northwesterly winds, dry weather along with moderate fog will prevail over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Prdaesh and North Rajasthan.
About the weather pattern, IMD report said tThe feeble western disturbance as a cyclonic circulation at 3.1 km above mean sea level lies over northeast Afghanistan and adjoining Pakistan with trough aloft roughly along Long. 62°E to the north of Lat. 32°N at 5.8 km above mean sea level.
“An induced cyclonic circulation lies over central Pakistan & adjoining Punjab and West Rajasthan and extends upto 1.5 km above mean sea level. Due to present western disturbance light rain/snow very likely over high reaches of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh during next 24 hours and minimum temperatures likely to rise by 1-2° C over many parts of northwest India leading to abatement of cold wave conditions from northwest India during next 48 hours,” the report said.
However, it said, shallow to moderate fog with isolated dense fog likely over northern plain during next 3 days.
