NEW DELHI: Large parts of central, northwest and peninsular India are likely to experience a colder-than-normal winter from December to February, with 4–5 additional cold wave days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday. Regions expected to be most affected include Madhya Pradesh, north and east Maharashtra, parts of Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, east and southeast Rajasthan, west and south Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana.
These areas typically record 4–6 cold wave days during winter, but this season the total may rise to 8–11 days, the IMD warned. Parts of northeast India may also see extra cold wave days. December alone could bring 1–3 more cold wave days, meaning 3–6 days of cold wave conditions for the month.
The first spell of cold to severe cold wave conditions has already arrived earlier than usual, affecting isolated pockets in west, central and adjoining east India.
Some regions may see warmer days
Cold wave conditions were recorded between November 8-18 in northeast Rajasthan, south Haryana, north Madhya Pradesh, south Uttar Pradesh and north Chhattisgarh, and on November 15 and 20 in north interior Maharashtra. A cold wave is declared when minimum temperatures fall to 10°C or below in plains and 0°C or below in hilly regions, with a departure of 4.5–6.4°C from normal.
IMD also noted that while minimum temperatures will be below normal across most affected regions, parts of northwest India, northeast India and the Himalayan foothills could witness above-normal maximum (day) temperatures.
Health, transport, and farm sectors may be hit
The agency warned that heightened cold wave conditions may increase health risks for senior citizens, children and people with existing illnesses. Dense early morning fog could reduce visibility, disrupting road, rail and air travel, while stagnant air could worsen urban pollution.
Weather-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, horticulture and daily-wage labour may face operational setbacks during prolonged cold spells, IMD added.
Releasing the winter outlook, IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra advised authorities to remain on alert. The public and agencies were urged to follow IMD’s impact-based forecasts and daily early-warning updates for timely information.
