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Punjab: Widespread rainfall compensated for the deficit, more rain expected this week

Punjab: Widespread rains over most parts of north India in the last 24 hours have made up for the heavy rainfall deficit in Punjab this month, but more rain is expected later this week. “A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from the night of January 14,” said the bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday. Under its influence, scattered rainfall activity is expected over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on January 15 and 16, besides scattered rain and snowfall activity is likely over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh from January 15 to 18, the bulletin said. Till the current spell of rains, Punjab was 90 per cent rain deficient for the month of January. With varying amounts of rainfall in the last two days, the state is now rain surplus by 27 per cent. According to IMD data, from January 1 to Sunday morning, Punjab received 7.6 mm of rainfall, while the long period average for this period is 6.0 mm. In the last 24 hours, rainfall was 1,320 per cent more than normal while 0.5 mm less than normal was recorded at 7.1 mm. In January, neighbouring Haryana received 39 per cent more rain while Himachal Pradesh received 80 per cent less. Till the current rainy season, it was 92 per cent and 89 per cent less than normal in these states, respectively. A Western Disturbance in the form of a cyclonic circulation persists over lower to upper tropospheric levels over Punjab and adjoining areas, while an induced cyclonic circulation persists over north Rajasthan and adjoining central parts, which is being attributed to the ongoing rains over plains of northwest India. Minimum temperatures increased by 1 to 5 degrees Celsius in many parts of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi in the last 24 hours. According to the IMD, minimum temperatures were 3.1 to 5 degrees Celsius above normal at some places in Punjab. Minimum temperatures are likely to fall gradually by 2-3 degrees Celsius over northwest India in the next 48 hours, followed by a gradual increase of 2-4 degrees Celsius over the next three days. Meteorologists have also predicted dense to very dense fog during night and morning hours in many parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

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