IMD alerts: Heavy rainfall, severe cold wave predicted in Northern part of India; Train services disrupted

In addition to the alerts, the IMD cautioned about very dense fog and severe cold day conditions in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for the next two days, gradually improving thereafter.

As Northern part of India grapples with diverse weather conditions, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued both orange and yellow alerts, signaling severe cold wave and the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall in several states. The IMD's forecast includes a wet spell over the Western Himalayan Region from January 29 to February 3, with expectations of heavy rainfall on January 30 and 31.

In addition to the alerts, the IMD cautioned about very dense fog and severe cold day conditions in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for the next two days, gradually improving thereafter. The latest observations from the IMD indicate dense to very dense fog over parts of Uttar Pradesh, isolated pockets of Bihar, moderate fog in isolated areas of Punjab, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh, as well as shallow fog in isolated pockets of Rajasthan, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.

The weather predictions extend to precipitation patterns, with moderate rainfall or snowfall anticipated in Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, and Himachal Pradesh over the next seven days until February 3. Specifically, heavy rainfall or snowfall is expected over Kashmir on January 30 and 31, and over Himachal Pradesh on January 31. Additionally, Uttarakhand is predicted to experience moderate rainfall or snowfall, while Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, and West Uttar Pradesh may witness light rainfall from January 31 to February 2.

The IMD also highlighted the persistence of severe cold day conditions in isolated pockets of Bihar from January 29 to 31, in some parts of Uttar Pradesh on January 29, and over Uttarakhand on January 29.

The adverse weather has impacted train services at the New Delhi Railway Station, leading to the cancellation of the 20808 Hirakund Express. Delays were reported for the 04449 New Delhi to Kurukshetra Junction and the 12011 Kalka Shatabdi Express.

Notably, the 02564 Barauni Clone Special is expected to arrive in Delhi over 17 hours behind schedule, while the 22416 Varanasi Vande Bharat Express is running more than 11 hours late.