According to Skymet Weather, a weak western disturbance is moving towards North India. The system is currently with North Pakistan. A cyclonic circulation is over southern parts of Bangladesh and adjoining areas.

A low-pressure area has developed over the southeastern parts of the Arabian Sea and adjoining Maldives. However, due to its advancements in the western direction, there is no threat of its impact on India at present.

During the next 24 hours, Lakshadweep is expected to continue with heavy rains, due to the low-pressure area over the southeastern parts of the Arabian Sea.

Light to moderate rains may occur over Kerala, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Coastal Karnataka is also expected to receive light rain at one or two places.

People out on a winter morning near India Gate at Rajpath in New Delhi.(Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)

Cold wave will continue over Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and East Madhya Pradesh as minimum temperatures will remain below normal in these parts.

Dense fog is also likely to persist over parts of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

North-western India, including Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad, mostly recorded “very poor” to “severe” air quality on Friday amid a drop in wind speed that has slowed down the dispersal of pollutants. In Delhi, the air quality was likely to remain in the “very poor” or “severe” category.

The ventilation index, which defines the ability of the atmosphere to disperse contaminants, over Delhi was expected to be 5,000 m2/s. A ventilation index below 2,350 is considered poor.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) separately said a cold wave persisted over several parts of India including Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab and Haryana. No significant change in minimum and maximum temperatures was likely during the next two days. They are likely to rise by 2-5°C in minimum temperatures briefly and fall by 2-5°C in maximum temperatures over north-western India during subsequent three days, IMD said.

Photo: Meteoblue

Photo: IMD

A cold wave occurs in plains when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and 4.5 notches lesser than the season’s normal for two days. It is also declared when the minimum temperature is less than 4 degree Celsius in the plains.

Dense to very dense fog was also likely over Punjab, northern Uttar Pradesh and Haryana on Friday and Saturday.

“An active Western Disturbance is likely to affect Western Himalayan Region from tomorrow [Saturday] which is likely to cause scattered to fairly widespread rainfall/snowfall over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan & Muzaffarabad; isolated to scattered rainfall/snowfall over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and light rain/thundershowers over adjoining plains of northwest India on December 27 and 28,” an IMD bulletin said.

Kuldeep Shrivastava, who heads the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, said the approaching Western Disturbance may cause light rain in Delhi on December 27 following which temperatures are likely to fall again, Hindustan Times reported.

Besides, expect light rain from Sunday after this week’s sunny spell, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast.

Photo: Weather Online

Due to a system of western disturbances, light rain can be expected in the city on Sunday with chances of its continuing on Monday as well, IMD officials said.

Cloudy weather and up to 10mm of rain is expected so a fall in day temperature is likely with a slight rise at night. Likelihood of moderate to dense fog in the city will increase after that, they added.

Meanwhile, maximum temperatures here remained constant on Wednesday and Thursday at 21.5 degrees C, with a low of 4.7 degrees C on Thursday after yesterday’s 5.7 degrees.

The next three days will see highs of 21 degrees and 22 degrees C and lows between 5 degrees and 7 degrees C.