Met Department Issues Thunderstorm Warning for North India

The IMD has also said there could be “heavy snowfall” in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh on 12 February.

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On Saturday, 10 February, the Met department forecast thunderstorms accompanied by hailstorms in isolated places in several north Indian states, including Punjab, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh, over the next two days due to an approaching western disturbance.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also said there could be "heavy snowfall" in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh on 12 February.

An active Western Disturbance lies over central parts of Afghanistan at present. It is most likely to move over northwest India during the next 48 hours. An induced cyclonic circulation is also very likely to develop over south Pakistan and neighbourhood during next 24 hours.

The Indian Meteorological Department

Western disturbance is a non-monsoonal precipitation pattern driven by the westerlies.

Interaction between this western disturbance from Afghanistan and lower level easterlies is very likely to take place over plains of northwest and adjoining central India from 11 February.

Under the influence of the two systems, "scattered to fairly widespread rain/snowfall" is very likely over western Himalayan region during 13 February.

"Scattered to fairly widespread rainfall (is) very likely over north and central India during February 11-13. Minimum temperatures are likely to rise by 2-4 degree Celsius over northwest India during the next two days," the IMD said.

However, no significant change in temperatures in the next 2-3 days is expected in the rest of the country.

The IMD has issued a warning of thunderstorms accompanied by hailstorms that are very likely to take place at isolated places in Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh, east Rajasthan and Vidarbha on 11 February.

A similar weather pattern may be witnessed the next day in the Jammu division, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, interior Odisha, central Maharashtra, Marathwada, Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh.

Isolated places in Jharkhand and interior Odisha may witness a similar weather pattern on 13 February.

"Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds is likely over Telangana on 11 and 12 February,” the IMD added.

Temperatures are expected to dip after the rain and thunderstorms subside.