The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a weather alert for North and Central India. It predicts a series of three Western Disturbances (WDs) that will bring significant rain and snow starting January 31 through February 7, 2026.

After a brief warm spell in Delhi, with temperatures reaching 22.6°C on Friday, the national capital and nearby states are preparing for a return to cold, wet, and foggy weather.

Triple threat: Three western disturbances in succession

Meteorologists have noted a rare sequence of weather systems that will affect the region in the coming week:

Systems 1 & 2 (Jan 31 – Feb 3): Two WDs will bring light to moderate rain and snowfall to the Western Himalayan region. Meanwhile, scattered rain is expected in the plains of Northwest and Central India.

System 3 (Feb 5 – Feb 7): A third system will move across Northwestern India soon after, prolonging the period of unpleasant weather into early February.

Heavy snowfall and thunderstorm alerts

The Western Himalayan region is likely to face the most severe impact from the first two systems:

J&K and Ladakh: Widespread rain and snow, along with thunderstorms and strong winds (30–40 km/h) are expected from January 31 to February 2.

Himachal and Uttarakhand: Snow is forecast for the higher hills, while lower areas will experience rain and thunderstorms on February 1 and 2.

The Plains: Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh are on alert for scattered rain and thunderstorms on February 1.

Dense fog and ‘cold day’ warnings

Although temperatures rose on Friday, the IMD warns that visibility will be significantly reduced:

Isolated Areas: Dense fog is expected in the mornings across Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and East Rajasthan until February 1.

Delhi Outlook: The capital will change from “Mist” to “Generally Cloudy Sky” with a chance of light rain and strong winds starting Saturday night. Minimum temperatures may vary between 6°C and 13°C.

Rainfall spread in central & east India

The effects of these disturbances will reach beyond the northern area:

• East Uttar Pradesh: Light rain and lightning are expected on February 2.








• Madhya Pradesh: Eastern MP will likely see thunderstorms and light rain on February 2 and 3.








• Rajasthan: Western Rajasthan may have isolated hailstorms on January 31, moving to Eastern Rajasthan by February 1.

Impact and safety advice

The IMD has warned residents and travelers to stay vigilant about

Transport Disruptions: Dense fog and rain may affect flight and train schedules in the NCR and Punjab.

Agricultural Precautions: Farmers should take measures against strong winds and potential hailstorms in Rajasthan and Haryana.

Temperature Drops: Although minimum temperatures might rise slightly due to cloud cover, “Cold Day” conditions, where maximum temperatures remain much below normal, are expected to return by early next week.