Bhopal. By the middle of October, the weather in North India has taken a shocking turn, due to which normal life has started getting affected. While the first snowfall of the season has started in the hilly states, the cold winds blowing in the plains have made the afternoon heat disappear. Now the need for light and warm clothes is being felt in the morning and evening. According to the latest update of the Indian Meteorological Department, this sudden change in the weather is the result of western disturbance and cold winds coming from the mountainous areas. A continuous decline in mercury is being recorded from the national capital Delhi to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, which is a clear indication that the severe cold is not far away.
Premature snowfall in hilly states
According to the latest data of the Meteorological Department, winter has made its formal knock in North India. The first snowfall of the season along with heavy rain has been recorded in the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh during 15th to 16th October. White blanket of snow has spread in many parts of Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba, Kangra, Kullu and Kinnaur, while two to five centimeters of snow is reported in Koksar and Keylong. Apart from this, the weather has deteriorated in the higher Himalayan regions of Uttarakhand and icy winds have engulfed the entire area.
Weather patterns changed in the plains
The effect of these cold winds coming from the mountains is clearly visible in the plains. The sky remained generally cloudy in Delhi-NCR, Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Faridabad. Light drizzle and winds blowing at a speed of fifteen to eighteen kilometers per hour have made the weather pleasant. As the effect of the scorching afternoon sun has reduced, people have now started switching off fans. In these areas, the maximum temperature is being recorded between twenty-nine to thirty-one degrees and the minimum temperature is being recorded around eighteen to twenty degrees Celsius, which is below normal.
Forecast of rain and storm in these states
According to IMD forecast, there is full possibility of rain in Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh also. The period of rain and strong winds may continue in Uttarakhand till 18th October. Its impact will also be visible in eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh, western Rajasthan and selected areas of Madhya Pradesh. Especially in eastern Rajasthan, the wind speed can reach thirty to forty kilometers per hour and with gusts up to fifty kilometers. Along with this, movement of clouds and sporadic showers are also expected in some parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal.
Heavy rain alert in South India
In contrast, the weather patterns of South India are presenting a completely different picture. A warning alert of heavy rain has been issued in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala and Mahe during October 16 to 18. In the coastal and interior areas of Karnataka, strong winds can blow at a speed of forty to fifty kilometers per hour, which can reach a speed of up to sixty kilometers per hour. There is a possibility of rain and thundershowers in some parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Meteorologists believe that this contrast in weather between the north and south is part of the combined effect of the general western disturbance and the withdrawal of the south-west monsoon.
