Plains to stay dry as western disturbance affects Himalayan region

New Delhi: A new weather system is advancing toward India’s northern mountains, promising fresh snowfall for the high Himalayas even as much of the country remains in a prolonged dry phase. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the core of the plains is likely to stay largely rain-free for about seven days, but atmospheric conditions over the Western Himalayan region are already beginning to change.

According to the IMD, a Western Disturbance moving as a trough in the upper levels of the atmosphere will enter the region on February 9, 2026. “A Western Disturbance as a trough in the upper tropospheric levels is very likely to affect the Western Himalayan region from February 9,” the department said in its latest bulletin.

Once the system arrives, isolated to scattered rainfall or snowfall is expected across Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad from February 9 onward. The spell will spread further east into Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand between February 9 and 11. On February 10, weather conditions in higher altitudes could intensify, with the IMD forecasting thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour.

While the mountains prepare for snow, temperatures in the plains are slowly rising. Minimum temperatures across Northwest India are likely to increase by around two degrees Celsius over the next two days, after a particularly cold night in which Fatehpur in East Rajasthan recorded 4.9 degrees Celsius, the lowest in the plains.

Central India is also expected to warm by two to four degrees Celsius in the coming days. In Delhi and the National Capital Region, daytime temperatures are forecast to remain stable between 23 and 26 degrees Celsius.

Fog continues to be a major concern for commuters. Dense to very dense fog is expected to linger during morning and night hours in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand until February 10, with visibility already dropping to zero metres in Bareilly and Gorakhpur. Similar foggy conditions are likely over northern Tamil Nadu, Bihar, and parts of Northeast India through February 9.