North India – The first week of February will be rainy and cloudy for almost entire North India. A fresh spell of snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir will commence from the 2nd or the 3rd of February, lasting till the 7th of February. While rain/snow will be intermittent, there could be some very to very heavy spells in between. The weather could dry up towards the weekend. In the plains (Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan) rain is expected from 5th of February onwards, with good showers on the 6th and 7th of February. As a result of rain and a thick cloud cover, maximums could witness a drop leading to days becoming colder yet again. Marginal changes in the minimum temperature will continue to keep the nights pleasant in North India. Fog could appear towards the end of the week as rain may leave enough moisture in the air.
East/Northeast India – A foggy week is the forecast for East and Northeast India this week. Uttar Pradesh has been the worst hit by fog this winter and will continue to be affected till February end. Pockets of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar could witness very poor visibility due to dense/very dense fog which could last till late morning. Places with dense fog could therefore observe cold day conditions. Other cities may report moderate to dense fog with maximums of around 20⁰C. Rain belt in North India may not travel up to East India. Northeast India on the other hand could also witness a very thick fog in the morning hours. Absence of any significant weather system or rain will keep the maximums 3 to 5 degrees above the normal average, at around 30⁰C.
Central India – Warm weather prevails in Central India this week. Fog will be observed in some parts of north Mahdya Pradesh, but will lift soon. While afternoons will be bright and pleasantly warm in Madhya Pradesh, with maximums settling between 23⁰C and 24⁰C, days in Maharashtra and Odisha will be quite warm. Maximums could exceed 30⁰C in many parts. Nights will be better but not so pleasant and cool in Maharashtra as minimums are on the rise and may settle between 17⁰C and 19⁰C. This week mercury levels will see a rising trend in Gujarat too.
South India – A dry and hot week is in store for South India. Maximums staying consistently between 34⁰C and 37⁰C along the west coast are indicating towards a gradual shift from winter to summer. Days will be better in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu with maximums slightly less warm, between 28⁰C and 30⁰C. Humid winds from the sea could further add to the discomfort during the day. However, possibilities of some isolated showers throughout the week in coastal Tamil Nadu cannot be ruled out. Nights will remain largely comfortable as the minimum temperature may settle in the lower twenties in most parts.
Photo by Ritika Acharya.