Northwest India to receive rain and snow; rabi crops may benefit

NORTHWEST India, including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, is likely to see a fresh spell of rainfall and snowfall in the coming days, which scientists say could benefit rabi crops such as wheat, mustard and barley.

Meanwhile, large parts of the country are expected to get a respite from the cold, with minimum temperatures remaining largely stable over the next four days, before gradually rising by 3-5°C in select regions, including Northwest India, over the subsequent three days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its latest weather update on Sunday.

Light to moderate rainfall is forecast over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan during 22-24 January. In view of the prevailing and upcoming weather conditions, the IMD has issued agrometeorological advisories for farmers and livestock owners due to low temperatures, thunderstorms and gusty winds expected in several states.

“Winter rains generally have a mixed but largely positive impact on rabi crops, provided they are light to moderate and well distributed. For wheat, mustard and pulses, winter rainfall is beneficial as it improves soil moisture, supports grain formation and reduces the need for irrigation, especially in rainfed areas,” said a senior scientist at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on the condition of anonymity.

The IMD also said that isolated to scattered, light to moderate rainfall or snowfall is likely over Jammu-Kashmir–Ladakh–Gilgit-Baltistan–Muzaffarabad and Himachal Pradesh during 18-21 January, intensifying to fairly widespread to widespread precipitation during 22-24 January. Also, isolated heavy snowfall is expected over Kashmir-Ladakh and the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh on 23 January. Uttarakhand may see similar conditions, with thunderstorms likely on 23-24 January.

Farmers in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, East Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have been advised to apply light and frequent irrigation to standing crops during evening hours to protect them from cold stress.

India’s rabi sowing in 2025-26 rose by more than 1.76 million hectares to 64.42 million hectares as of 9 January, data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare showed. The area under rabi crops is 2.8% higher than a year ago and above the season’s average of 63.78 million hectares, driven mainly by increased acreage under wheat, rice, pulses and oilseeds.

In areas likely to witness thunderstorms or strong winds, farmers have been advised by IMD to provide mechanical support to horticultural crops and stake vegetables and young fruit-bearing plants to prevent lodging and damage.

As far weather is concerned, large parts of the country are likely to see a respite from cold conditions in the coming days, as minimum temperatures begin to rise. The IMD has forecast largely stable minimum temperatures across most parts of the country, with a gradual warming trend expected in select regions thereafter.

Over Maharashtra, minimum temperatures are expected to remain largely unchanged during the next 24 hours, before increasing by 2–4°C over the following four days, with no major change thereafter for the next two days.

Gujarat and East India are likely to witness a gradual rise in minimum temperatures by 2-3°C during the next three days, after which temperatures are expected to stabilise for about four days. Central India is also expected to see no significant change in minimum temperatures over the next four days, followed by a gradual increase of 2-3°C during the subsequent three days. No significant change in minimum temperatures is forecast over the remaining parts of the country.

Dense to very dense fog is very likely to persist across Northwest India and Bihar over the next two to three days.

Meanwhile, minimum temperatures dipped sharply across parts of north and central India, with the IMD reporting cold conditions in several regions in the past 24 hours till 08.30 am on Sunday.

Temperatures ranged between 1°C and 4°C at most places in Himachal Pradesh, some parts of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, and at isolated locations in northwest Punjab and Uttarakhand.

Many areas of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Southwest Bihar, North Rajasthan, North Madhya Pradesh, North Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand recorded minimum temperatures between 5°C and 9°C. The lowest minimum temperature over the plains was recorded at 1.7°C in Amritsar, Punjab.