Multiple weather systems bring rain and thunderstorms across northwest India

Rain with varying intensity accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds were experienced over many places in northwest India, including the capital, over the past 24 hours, affecting normal life and disrupting flight schedules.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), thunderstorm accompanied with squalls with a speed of 70-100 kmph prevailed at many places over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Delhi and Odisha, while winds with lower intensity having speed of 40-70 kmph prevailed at some places over Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand Haryana, Chandigarh and Rajasthan, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, interior Karnataka and coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Punjab received 9.9 mm rain over the past 24 hours, Haryana 12 mm, and Himachal Pradesh received 2.8 mm. While the precipitation was excessive in Punjab and Haryana, it was below normal for this duration in Himachal Pradesh.

Hailstorms were also reported at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, East Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and south interior Karnataka.

The ongoing wet spell is attributed to the interplay of several weather systems prevailing in different parts of the country. A western disturbance as a cyclonic circulation lies over south Punjab and adjoining north Rajasthan and west Haryana in middle tropospheric levels.

An upper air cyclonic circulation lies over southwest Rajasthan in lower tropospheric levels along with an upper air cyclonic circulation over northeast Rajasthan and adjoining northwest Madhya Pradesh

In addition, a trough, that is a linear area of low atmospheric pressure, is running from this cyclonic circulation to Bangladesh in lower tropospheric levels and another trough is running from Punjab to north Kerala in lower tropospheric levels.

Western disturbances play a crucial role in the weather conditions and are the major source of non-monsoon precipitation over northern and northwest India during summers and winters . These originate over the Mediterranean region and travel eastwards over the Indian sub-continent, getting their moisture from sources like the Mediterranean Sea, Caspian Sea and Black Sea.

Western disturbances are a common occurrence though their frequency is more in winters than summers. According to weather experts, on an average, northwest India experiences about two such events in a month, which may be of varying intensity and not every disturbance would bring in rain. The normal pre-monsoon season rainfall for the March-May period is 54.2 mm for Punjab, 44.6 mm for Haryana and 240.7 mm for Himachal Pradesh.

In a bulletin issued on May 2, IMD has predicted isolated to scattered rainfall with thunderstorm, lightning and strong winds with speed reaching 40-60 kmph is likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan till May 6.

Scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds is likely over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand till May 6. Hailstorm is also possible in Himachal Pradesh.

IMD also expects a fall in maximum temperatures by 2-4 degrees Celsius over northwest India during the next 24 hours, but no significant change is likely for the subsequent three days. Thereafter a rise by 2-3 degrees Celsius is possible.

Over the past 24 hours, the highest maximum temperature recorded in Punjab was 41.2 degrees Celsius at Bathinda while the lowest minimum temperature observed was 23.5 degrees Celsius at Gurdaspur.

The maximum temperatures were above normal by up to three degrees Celsius in the south-western parts of Punjab, while these were below normal by up to three degrees Celsius in the south-eastern parts of Punjab. In other parts of the state, the day temperatures were normal or near normal.

In Haryana, the highest maximum temperature was 40.4 degrees Celsius at Sirsa, while the lowest minimum was 23.2 degrees Celsius at Karnal. The day temperatures were below normal by up to three degrees over south-eastern and eastern districts of the state and near normal in other parts, according to IMD.

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