While Uttarakhand won’t see snow until the end of December, the Himalayan state has begun to witness a considerable drop in mercury levels — so much so, that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘cold wave’ alert over the state for the next two days.
For the next 48 hours, the northern state is likely to witness a fall in nighttime temperatures by 2-4°C. And the mercury could very well stay low for the rest of the week, especially with the IMD also predicting a 2-4°C drop in minimum temperatures across Northwest India during the next three days.
In the hilly areas, the IMD declares a cold wave when the minimum temperatures are equal to/less than 0°C in hilly areas and 4.5-6.4°C below the normal temperature for that period.
The ongoing cold wave can be attributed to a fresh western disturbance that’s currently active in the neighbouring states of Jammu-Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Such western disturbances are essentially low-pressure systems that originate over the Mediterranean Sea, pick up moisture as they move eastwards, and then dump it over India’s northern and northwestern states.
In view of the drop in mercury levels, the IMD has issued a yellow watch over Uttarakhand for December 13 so as to urge locals to ‘be updated’ about the weather and take necessary precautions. The Udham Singh Nagar district in the state will also remain on yellow watch for the next 24 hours.
Some measures that can be taken to protect oneself from the cold include moisturising your skin with oil or cream, drinking plenty of warm fluids, eating a diet rich in Vitamin C and wearing adequate warm clothes before stepping out. People with respiratory problems are advised against going out unless there’s an emergency.
According to the report released by the IMD on Monday, the daytime temperature in capital city Dehradun was recorded at 28.4°C, while the minimum temperature at night reached 7°C. Nainital-based tourist destination Mukteshwar recorded a maximum temperature of 19.9°C and a minimum temperature of 7°C.
With conditions likely to worsen, experts fear crop loss due to frost.
However, there are some enjoyable aspects to the winters as well. In the Garhwal and Kumaon regions of Uttarakhand, for instance, winter represents some unique foods. Herbs from the upper reaches of the Himalayan state, and an ample haul of locally grown beans, tubers, citrus fruits and sun-dried vegetables, provide sustenance, nutrition and warmth in the cold months to the mountain people. And let’s not forget the inclusion of Bhaang (Hemp seeds) in diets to keep your bodies warm!
Source - https://weather.com
