NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast the continuation of cold wave conditions across northern, eastern, and central India for the next four days. Minimum temperatures in northwest India are expected to drop by 2–3°C in the coming days.
According to the IMD, cold to severe cold wave conditions are likely to persist in isolated areas of west Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, east and west Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, Jharkhand, and Odisha over the next three to four days.
A cold wave, as defined by the IMD, occurs when the minimum temperature at a particular weather station drops significantly below normal—specifically by 4.5°C to 6.4°C or more—and when the absolute temperature reaches or falls below certain thresholds (≤10°C in the plains or ≤0°C in the hills).
Currently, cold wave and severe cold wave conditions have already been reported in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, while isolated pockets of Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh have also been affected since November 9.
The IMD has observed that minimum temperatures are ranging between 7°C and 10°C in various regions, including Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, northern Haryana, Uttarakhand, east Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Madhya Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh. In these areas, temperatures have dropped below normal by 5.1°C or more, creating potential health hazards.
The department predicts that minimum temperatures in northwest India will remain below normal by 2–3°C over the next four to five days. Additionally, temperatures in Telangana are expected to fall by 3–4°C for two to three days, with no significant changes thereafter.
The IMD has warned that the sudden decline in minimum temperatures could increase the likelihood of illnesses such as flu, stuffy nose, and nosebleeds, which can worsen with prolonged exposure to cold. The health advisory cautions, “Do not ignore shivering; it is the first sign that the body is losing heat. Get indoors.”
In its agromet advisory, the IMD has recommended light and frequent irrigation for standing crops in the evening to protect them from low-temperature stress or cold injury in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Jharkhand.