Severe cold wave expected in North India

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that North India is expected to go through a ‘severe’ cold wave and drinking alcohol or having New Year’s parties should be avoided. The IMD said a "severe" cold wave is expected over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and northern Rajasthan from 28 December and there is an increased likelihood of various illnesses like flu, running nose or nosebleed which usually set in or get aggravated due to prolonged exposure to cold.

"Get indoors. Eat vitamin-C-rich fruits and moisturize your skin regularly to counter the effects of severe cold," it added. Under the influence of the approaching Western Disturbance Scattered to Fairly widespread rainfall/snowfall is very likely over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan and Muzaffarabad; isolated to scattered rainfall/snowfall over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and isolated rain/thundershowers over northern parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on 27th-28th December 2020, the IMD said.

For the plains, a cold wave when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 notches less than normal. A "severe" cold wave is when the minimum temperature dips to two degrees Celsius or the departure is more than 6.4 degrees Celsius.