According to IMD forecasts, the harsh cold conditions, compounded by rainfall, are expected to worsen over the next seven days in states like Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana.
North India is reeling under an intense cold wave, with parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and other northern states experiencing sub-zero temperatures. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for heavy rains in several districts, attributing the situation to an incoming western disturbance.
According to IMD forecasts, the harsh cold conditions, compounded by rainfall, are expected to worsen over the next seven days in states like Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana.
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In Himachal Pradesh, districts like Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Mandi are under orange alert due to severe cold. Tabo recorded the lowest temperature in the state at 11.6°C, while Kusumseri and Sumdo registered 4.8°C and 5.3°C, respectively. Even Una, typically warmer, saw a sharp dip to 1°C at night, though it recorded a maximum of 23.8°C during the day.
Challenges in high-altitude areas
In Kashmir and other higher-altitude regions, freezing temperatures have caused water pipes to freeze and disrupted hydropower generation due to snow-fed rivers turning into ice. A yellow alert warns of persistent fog in the Bhakra Dam area and Balh Valley in Himachal, further complicating daily life.
The IMD has warned of an intense Western Disturbance set to impact Northwest India starting the night of December 26. An induced cyclonic circulation is expected to form over southwest Rajasthan on December 27, interacting with easterly winds to bring high moisture from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal until December 28.
Authorities have urged residents to take precautions as North India braces for more extreme weather conditions in the coming days.
