Heavyrain and snowfall has been forecast for Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand as an 'intense' western disturbance and its offspring cyclonic circulation consolidated grip over the region.
Heavy rain or thunder-showers are likely over the plains in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and West Uttar Pradesh for today, an outlook from India Met Department (IMD) said.
Thunderstorms, hailstorms and gusty winds may impact the Jammu Division, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, North Rajasthan and North Madhya Pradesh.
More rain forecast
More rain is predicted for the first two weeks of February in an extended range forecast from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research; All India Coordinated Research Project on Agricultural Meteorology; Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture; and Earth System Science Organisation of the IMD.
Accordingly, the current week (February 1 to 7) will have seen excess rainfall over the deficient western parts of the country, including West Maharashtra, West Madhya Pradesh and North-West India.
The week that follows (February 8 to 14) would once again witness excess rain over the North-West, the South Peninsula, entire East Coast, and North-East India.
The South Peninsula will see rain mostly from the seas around Sri Lanka and adjoining Tamil Nadu as well as the southern parts of the Bay of Bengal witnessing some activity.
Meanwhile, North-West India could get hit by another western disturbance from the weekend, generating more snow and rain over the hills and thunder-showers over parts of the adjoining plains.
Surprise gainers
Saurashtra & Kutch (+355 per cent); Rayalaseema (+321) per cent; and Telangana (+246 per cent) have emerged surprise gainers from 'large excess' rainfall so far (until February 6) in the new year.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands (+190 per cent) and West Rajasthan (+64 per cent) are quite some distance away in the list of the Met subdivisions receiving 'large rainfall excess' (60 per cent or more above normal).
Except in Andaman & Nicobar, the rainfall bounty last can be attributed to the combination of the 'intense' western disturbance and its offspring cyclonic circulation (from January 24 to 30).
In fact, the same combination is in operation currently over North-West India and Central India, with forecasts suggesting that it is deep enough to trigger rainfall over Central India and parts of Peninsular India as well.
It could go some way offering relief from the acute moisture stress being felt over many parts of North-West India, though its eastern parts (Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and East Madhya Pradesh) are still in deficit.
But the situation has been acute in East Gujarat and adjoining West Maharashtra; West Madhya Pradesh; East and North-East India and the South Peninsula so far during the season.