Context: After continuous cold conditions experienced all through January and the beginning of February, the plains over North India reported a sharp shift in temperatures. This has triggered apprehensions that the cold season is ending soon and the summers are going to start early.

Weather over North India in 2021:

• Cold conditions dominated both the plains and hilly regions in North and Northwest India this season.
• Though the average monthly minimum temperature recorded over the country in January remained the warmest in 62 years, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Jammu and Kashmir experienced prolonged severe cold conditions.
• The national capital and neighboring areas also reported sporadic rainfall in the first week of the New Year.
• In January, there were fewer and feeble western disturbances across lower latitudes. The effects of western disturbances were mostly limited to hilly regions in January.

Sudden rise in temperatures:

• In the absence of cold waves and cold day conditions over the plains of north India, temperatures began to soar.
• The dominance of the prevailing easterly waves and presence of multiple weather systems over Central India is preventing the cold waves from reaching the northern parts of India.

How will these weather systems affect the cold conditions?

• Due to the presence of multiple weather systems and their confluence with moist easterly winds expected over Central India during the next three days, thunderstorms are forecast over this region till February 19.
• As a result, no significant cold conditions would prevail over the country, except Jammu and Kashmir till February 20.

Is the winter season over?

• IMD identifies January and February as winter months over India. Even though the temperatures would remain on the higher side till February 20, the winter season is not over yet.
• A fresh western disturbance is expected to cross extreme north India on February 20. This system will bring rainfall or snowfall over Jammu and Kashmir.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/why-is-north-india-feeling-the-heat-delhi-temperature-winter-7191925/

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