WESTERN DISTURBANCES

• The extended and intense cold and dry weather, not so good for agricultural point of view, has been because of feeble and fewer western disturbances (WDs) and their changed pattern this season.
• Currently, almost 40 per cent of the country (primarily Punjab, Haryana and western UP, eastern Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh) is experiencing scanty rain this Rabi due to wayward WDs.

 WESTERN DISTURBANCES:

• Western disturbance is a weather phenomenon associated with clouds and rain
• Causes winter rain and snow; also linked to cloudy skies, higher night temperatures
• A rise in temperature is followed by rainfall or snow
• Temperatures rise is because of change in wind direction from cold north-westerly to warm south-westerly winds
• This brings down temperatures while the cloud cover in the nights does not allow the heat to escape