NEW DELHI: The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a health advisory in the wake of persisting cold wave and dense fog conditions over Northwest and East India for another week. It has issued a red alert for Uttar Pradesh and an orange alert for other states to take precautions over cold waves and dense fog.
Besides, there is a forecast of snowfall in the Himalayan region and rainfall in the plain from January 25 onwards. The minimum temperatures would be in the range of 3–7 °C, while the maximum temperatures would be in the range of 12–18 °C.
In its health advisory, there is an increased likelihood of various illnesses like flu, running/stuffy nose, or nosebleed, which usually set in or get aggravated due to prolonged exposure to cold in Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh, West Rajasthan, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. It has also warned of frostbite if a person gets prolonged exposure to the cold.
Apart from potential health challenges, cold waves and dense fog will impact agriculture, crops, livestock, water supply, transport, and the power sector in some places.
In its weekly forecast, IMD further predicted dense fog and cold wave conditions in isolated pockets likely to continue to prevail over North India, including Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and north Rajasthan, during the next five days. Besides, ground frost conditions are very likely in isolated places over Uttarakhand, and snowfall and rainfall will start from January 25 onwards.
The reason behind extreme cold days and waves is the presence of the jet stream phenomenon over North India. A jet stream is a fast-flowing wind of 130–150 knots at 12.6 km above mean sea level that occurs when warmer air from the south meets cooler air from the north. It is leading to the subsidence of cold air and enhancing cold wave and cold day conditions over North India.
"The similar intensity of the jet stream is likely to continue during the next 3–4 days,” said Dr Shashi Kant, senior scientist at the IMD.
“Under the influence of a fresh Western disturbance, light isolated rainfall or snowfall is likely over the Western Himalayan Region from January 25th to January 28th, 2024,” he added.
The IMD also forecasts light rainfall at isolated places likely over Vidarbha, Telangana, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal during the next 4-5 days due to existing troughs in easterlies from South Interior Karnataka to south Chhattisgarh and anticyclonic circulation over the Northwest Bay of Bengal.