Chandigarh: North-west India is set to remain under the influence of unsettled weather conditions for the next few days, with intermittent rain and snowfall expected to continue until February 2, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Meteorologists attribute the ongoing wet spell to an active western disturbance currently affecting the region, along with another system forecast to approach from the night of January 30. Together, these weather systems are likely to bring light to moderate rainfall across the plains and snowfall in the Western Himalayan region and nearby areas.
The IMD has forecast fairly widespread rainfall across parts of Punjab and Haryana on January 28 and again on February 1. On the intervening days, precipitation is expected to be more scattered. Several areas in both states experienced moderate rainfall on January 27.
During the past 24 hours, parts of Punjab recorded light to moderate showers, with districts such as Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Kapurthala in the north, along with Barnala, Sangrur and Mansa in the south, receiving rain. In Haryana, precipitation was limited, with Jind and Mahendergarh reporting rainfall.
The frequent showers over recent days have pushed January rainfall figures well above normal levels. Cumulative rainfall so far this month stands at around 71 per cent above the long-period average in Punjab and nearly 27 per cent higher than usual in Haryana.
Temperature trends have also shown noticeable variation. Daytime temperatures have remained lower than normal, dipping by as much as 5.7°C in Punjab and up to 8.7°C in Haryana. In contrast, minimum temperatures during the night have stayed above average, rising by up to 5.7°C in Punjab and about 4°C in Haryana.
Looking ahead, the IMD expects minimum temperatures across north-west India to drop gradually by 3–5°C over the next two days, followed by a similar rise later. Cold wave conditions accompanied by dense fog are likely at isolated locations in Punjab and Haryana until January 30.
Recent temperature readings show minimum temperatures in Punjab ranging from 7.7°C in Ludhiana to 12.9°C at other stations. In Haryana, the lowest minimum was recorded at 5.8°C in Gurugram, while Ambala reported around 11.5°C. Maximum temperatures varied between 14°C in Ropar and 18°C in Bathinda in Punjab, and from 13.8°C in Narnaul to 21.9°C in Karnal across Haryana.
The IMD has also warned of widespread rain and snowfall, along with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds, over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the coming days. These conditions are expected to further influence weather patterns in adjoining plains, including Punjab and Haryana.
