AFZAL HUSSAIN FAUJI/ Nainital
This winter, La Niña will be more prevalent, dominating and intense, according to the United States-based Climate Prediction Centre. The United States will be the most affected while the Asian countries, including India, will be affected, too, by the intense cold. North India is likely to reel under a prolonged and severe winter with increased snowfall and rainfall.
As per the report released by the US Climate Prediction Centre, La Niña has been active since November, causing sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific to fall below average. Consequently, the impact of La Niña will likely persist, impacting climate across the globe. The weather organisations around the world, including the US and European ones, are closely monitoring the likely La Niña impact.
As far as snowfall and rain are concerned, many countries around the world are expected to experience heavy rainfall during the winter while the snow-fed areas will experience heavy snowfall. The forecast centre predicts that this winter’s cold will break winter records of the past several years. Asian countries will also be affected.
Importantly, La Niña will have its greatest impact in India in December and January, potentially extending into February. Western disturbances will be more active and frequent due to La Niña, leading to increased rainfall in the plains, especially in North India, while heavy snowfall is expected in mountainous regions, including the Himalayas. Temperatures are expected to drop significantly in polluted areas, leading to the possibility of severe cold in the plains.
Commenting on the forecast report, a senior atmospheric scientist at the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Narendra Singh stated that snowfall is highly likely in Nainital and Mussoorie this year. “We should thus brace up for a snowy and rainy winter this time. Besides, the winter cold may be a prolonged one,” he noted.
