Hail warnings cause crop concern, wet spell may last until Tuesday

The current wet spell, received with much cheer in the wheat-growing belt, is now causing concern as the weather office today put out hail...

The current wet spell, received with much cheer in the wheat-growing belt, is now causing concern as the weather office today put out hail and squall warnings for the next 48 hours in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. Parts of south Delhi and Gurgaon were hit by a hailstorm this afternoon.

According to the meteorological department, this wet spell is going to continue for the next two days. Before this spell, rains were overdue by about two weeks: the season’s cumulative rainfall was excess/normal in 2, deficient/scanty in 27 and there was no rain in 7 out of 36 meteorological sub-divisions. It was actually 83% deficient.

The western disturbance as a low pressure area still lies over central Pakistan and adjoining West Rajasthan. The system is moving eastward, bringing more rain over Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh from tomorrow.

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North West India and Uttar Pradesh received widespread rains today. Weather stations that recorded substantial rainfall were Chandigarh, Patiala, Ambala, Amritsar, Allahabad, Bahraich, Bhagalpur, Gaya and Patna. Further fall in night temperature and development of fog conditions is likely over plains of northwest India. The forecast for Delhi tomorrow is: generally cloudy sky with rain/thundershowers, one or two spells may be heavy, accompanied by hailstorm/thunder squalls.

Day temperatures are likely to increase while night temperatures are expected to fall in the plains of northwest India during the next 3-4 days. Snow has been forecast for Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal.

With the system moving eastward, there will be more rain over west and east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Jharkhand, Orissa and Gangetic West Bengal from tomorrow. Rain/thundershower is likely at a few places over north Madhya Pradesh and north Chhattisgarh.

RAIN, SNOW, HAILSTORM

• A low pressure area still lies over central Pakistan and West Rajasthan.

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• Widespread precipitation accompanied with isolated hail/squall is likely over western Himalayan region and Indo-Gangetic plains during next 2-3 days.

• Day temperature likely to increase whereas night temperatures are likely to decrease over plains of northwest India during next 3-4 days.

• Lowest night temperature in the plains was 9.0 ºC recorded at Patiala

• Heavy rains/snowfall warning for next 48 hours: Isolated heavy rain/snowfall likely over Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal.

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• Hailstorm warning for next 48 hours: Isolated hail/squall likely in J&K, Himachal, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, UP, Uttaranchal, Bihar and Jharkhand

Outlook for subsequent two days from 1430 hours of February 14:

• Decrease in precipitation over Western Himalayan region and Indo-Gangetic plains and increase in rainfall activity over northeastern states.

• Development of fog conditions over northwest India