Northwestern winds from the western Himalayas will lower the minimum temperature in northern India. (Archive)
New Delhi:
It’s going to be very cold in North India, and drinking alcohol at home or at the end of the year holidays will not be a good idea, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
In its latest impact-based advisory, the IMD said a “severe” cold snap is expected in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and northern Rajasthan from December 28 and that there is an increased likelihood of various illnesses like the flu, runny nose, or nosebleed that usually sets in or is aggravated by prolonged exposure to cold.
“Don’t drink alcohol. Lower your body temperature,” the ad read.
“Go indoors. Eat fruits rich in vitamin C and hydrate your skin regularly to counteract the effects of severe cold,” he said.
Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional forecast center, said that mercury will rise slightly on Sunday and Monday under the influence of a new western unrest that will affect the upper reaches of the Himalayas, but that the relief will be short-lived.
The western unrest will result in “scattered to fairly extensive” snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
After the wind system retreats, cold, dry winds from the north or northwest of the western Himalayas will lower the minimum temperature in northern India by three to five degrees Celsius, IMD said.
“Cold snap to cold snap conditions are likely to be found in isolated areas over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, UP and northern Rajasthan from December 28 to 29. Frost and dense fog are likely to be found. in isolated areas of the region, “he said.
For the plains, the IMD declares a cold snap when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or less and is 4.5 notches lower than normal. A “severe” cold snap is when the minimum temperature drops to two degrees Celsius or the output is more than 6.4 degrees Celsius.
Last Sunday, the Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for the city, recorded a low of 3.4 degrees Celsius, the lowest this season so far.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
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