IMD issues red alert as severe cold wave conditions prevail in Northern states of India

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a red alert with a 'cold wave to severe cold wave' conditions to persist in several states and union territories for this week. States like Delhi, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh are likely to witness very cold conditions for the next two days. Meanwhile, certain areas of Northwest India will witness a rise by 3-5°C and a rise of nearly 2-4°C over Central & East India and Maharashtra thereafter. IMD has also said that light to moderate rainfall and snowfall are expected over the western Himalayan region between December 22 and 25 under the influence of two Western Disturbances. 

IMD latest prediction of weather conditions:

Parts of India experience severe cold

A cold wave swept Delhi on Monday with the minimum temperature at the Safdarjung Observatory, considered the official marker for the capital, dropping to 3.2 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal and the lowest so far this season. Two "back-to-back" western disturbances and the resultant slowing down of cold northwesterly winds from Tuesday night will push the minimum temperature up, said R K Jenamani, a senior scientist at the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

On Monday, the Met department had also issued three orange alerts warning of cold to severe cold waves and cold days in Madhya Pradesh where minimum temperatures dipped in the last three days due to chilly wind from north India. 

The first alert predicted a likely severe cold wave at isolated places and a cold wave at many places in the ten divisions of MP- Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Chambal, Ujjain, Rewa, Shahdol, Hoshangabad and Sagar, in the next two days. In the second alert, IMD said that 17 districts, including Indore, Jabalpur, Rewa, Satna and Mandla, are likely to witness either a "severe cold day" or a "cold day" in the next two days.

Intense cold conditions continued to paralyse normal life in Rajasthan where the mercury dipped below freezing point at four places on Sunday night. The night temperature was - 1.8 degrees celsius in Fatehpur (Sikar), - 0.5 in Sikar and Churu, and -0.1 degrees in Karauli. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday had also tweeted about taking measures to save crops from frost.