Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival to be celebrated in North India tomorrow (14th of January), will also mark the beginning of the arrival of Spring. Sun will start its journey from the Tropic of Capricorn in Southern Hemisphere towards the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere.
It means that with each passing day from here, sun shine will increase becoming more direct towards the Northern Hemisphere. More heating will lead to gradual rise in day temperatures. If there is a Western Disturbance in the Western Himalayan region, clouds related with the weather system will not let this increasing heat to escape from the atmosphere thus raising the night temperatures as well.
However, the cold and dry weather in India will not subside instantly and gradual increase in temperatures will bring the spring season in three to four weeks. Temperatures will rise but there may be days when they may fall below the normal significantly giving an indication that winter is still here to dominate the weather in Delhi and other parts of North India.
Winter in India usually lasts till March but it depends on the number and strength of the Western Disturbances during the season. If the number of Western Disturbances are high, winter could last long, till the month of April.
Photograph by Vadodara Baroda