India likely to see colder-than-usual winter, says IMD

India is likely to face a colder-than-usual winter, with more cold wave days than normal across parts of central, northwest and northeast India, the India Meteorological Department said on Monday.

The weather agency said that the expected drop in temperatures will be influenced by a polar vortex and continuing weak La Niña conditions between December and February.

“Below normal temperatures and cold wave conditions over Madhya Pradesh had something to do with the polar vortex and the La Niña conditions,” the Hindustan Times quoted IMD scientist OP Sreejith as saying. “Now again the polar vortex has started impacting.”

La Niña refers to the periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific that can lead to higher rainfall and colder winters. A polar vortex is an area of low-pressure, very cold air circling the poles that can push colder conditions southward.

Spatial maps indicate that Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and Gujarat are expected to experience below-normal temperatures, while most of central India and the adjoining peninsular and northwest regions are likely to record normal to below-normal minimum temperatures, the Hindustan Times reported.

Above-normal minimum temperatures are expected in the remaining parts of the country, the weather agency added.

IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra noted that cold wave conditions could persist for up to 11 days, compared with the normal four to six days, The Indian Express reported.

“Above normal cold wave spells will affect Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Marathwada regions of Maharashtra during the winter season,” he said. “Cold wave episodes can last longer than normal.”

The weather agency declares a cold wave when the minimum temperature of a station drops to 10 degrees Celsius or less for plains and 0 degrees Celsius or less for hilly regions.