Delhi recorded the lowest minimum of the season on the first day of January 2021. One of the strongest Western Disturbance of the season approached Western Himalayas on January 2nd. This Western Disturbance was a slow-moving one and continued to linger around the western Himalayas for 4 to 5 days. It has dumped heavy snowfall over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Northern Plains of the country also witnessed one of the heaviest winter rains in the last many years. Delhi recorded around 57 mm rain between January 2 and 6. This amount equals the cumulative average rainfall of January, February, and March for Delhi.
Similarly, most of the north-west Indian states remained large excess during the first week of January, barring Ladakh and Chandigarh. Chandigarh was deficient by 7% and falls in normal rain category, while Ladakh remained excess with 27% surplus.
Similarly, south Peninsula also recorded heavy downpour during the first week of January. As on January 7, south Peninsula is surplus by 1042%. Almost all the southern states are in large excess in the rain category, except for Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Telangana. Andaman and Nicobar Islands deficient is deficient by 40% whereas Telangana is excess by 29%. The twin weather systems, a trough extending from Comorin area to south coast of Tamil Nadu and another trough extending from the South East Arabian Sea to Maharashtra cost across coastal Kerala and Karnataka along with active easterly wave were responsible for these heavy rains. Many districts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka witnessed record-breaking rainfall. Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Bengaluru in Karnataka recorded all-time high 24-hour rainfall on January 7. In fact, both these districts surpassed monthly rainfall record of January.
Maharashtra, West Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka witnessed unseasonal rainfall during this period. Now rain activities will subside over North, West and Central India. The weather of Western Himalayas will also go dry. The rainfall activities will continue over Karnataka and Kerala for another 24 to 48 hours. Tamil Nadu, particularly Southern districts will receive good rainfall until January 11.
