Ready for a weekend indoors? You might want to keep those umbrellas and raincoats handy. After a brief spell of warmth, a fresh weather system is set to bring a dramatic shift across the country tomorrow.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for widespread rain, thundersqualls, and even hailstorms that could disrupt daily life and pose a significant threat to standing crops.
A thundersquall is a sudden, violent windstorm characterised by a sharp increase in wind speed that lasts for several minutes, usually occurring in association with a severe thunderstorm or a passing weather front.
WHAT IS THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR NORTH INDIA?
The northern plains, including Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana, are bracing for a severe weather spell on April 3.
A powerful western disturbance is moving across the region, likely triggering thundersqualls with wind speeds reaching 50 to 60 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 70 kilometres per hour.
Isolated hailstorm activity is also expected in these areas, which could lead to a noticeable dip in day temperatures. For those in Jammu and Kashmir, the forecast is even more intense, with isolated heavy rainfall and hailstorms predicted for Friday.
WILL THE HILLS SEE FRESH SNOWFALL?
If you are heading to the mountains, be prepared for wintry conditions. The IMD expects fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand starting April 3.
While the lower reaches experience rain, the upper altitudes are likely to see fresh snowfall as the system intensifies over the weekend.
This transition is expected to bring a significant cooling effect, with maximum temperatures likely to fall by three to five degrees Celsius across northwest India on Friday and Saturday.
HOW WILL WESTERN AND CENTRAL INDIA BE AFFECTED?
The weather drama is not restricted to the north. Parts of western India, particularly Maharashtra and Marathwada, are on high alert for thundersqualls and isolated hailstorms on April 3.
Meanwhile, central India will see scattered rainfall and potential hailstorm activity in Madhya Pradesh.
Farmers in these regions have been advised to complete the harvesting of mature crops like wheat and mustard immediately and shift them to safe storage to avoid damage from the impending storms.
