The weather in the northern states of India is likely to be colder over the next few days according to the Indian Meteorological Department. It is set to see a change in the regular weather as in heavy rain and snowfall is expected all over the western Himalayan Region in the week to come. Some of this wet activity, however, is expected to spill over to the adjoining northwestern plains.
According to the IMD, there will be rain, thunderstorms and hailstorms with strong winds in Punjab between 18 and 22 February. The IMD also said that light to moderate rain may occur in Haryana, Chandigarh and western Uttar Pradesh.
Apart from the rainfall, isolated thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds blowing at 30-40 kmph and gusting to 50 kmph are all very likely across Northwest India during this forecast period. Along with this, hailstorm is likely for Punjab, Haryana and north Rajasthan on Monday and Tuesday (Feb 19-20) and West Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday (Feb 20).
Heavy rain and snowfall are expected in most areas of Kashmir Valley from 18 to 21 February, while there may be light to moderate rain in the plains and low-lying areas. During this period, there may be light to moderate rain in most areas of Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and heavy rain and snowfall in some parts of these states.
These conditions will be caused by a western disturbance—a system of winds that builds up over the Mediterranean Sea and moves eastward over parts of the Middle East, picking up moisture from the seas along the way. It then reaches India and hits the Himalayan mountain ranges, where it often dumps the moisture in the form of rain. When such disturbances are strong enough, as is the case with the current system, they also cause rainfall over the northwestern plains.