Western Disturbance Causes Temperature Drop Across North India

Western Disturbance Causes Temperature Drop Across North India

Western Disturbances (WD) are low-pressure, non-monsoonal weather systems that originate in the mid-latitude region and bring winter rainfall (locally known as Mahawat) to India. The term "disturbance" refers to the unstable air within low-pressure systems, such as fronts, depressions, and cyclones.

About Western Disturbances (WD)

• Origin: WD forms over the Mediterranean Sea due to the interaction between contrasting air masses.
• Formation: A high-pressure system over Ukraine forces cold polar air into warmer regions, creating instability that triggers cyclogenesis, leading to the formation of WD.
• Subtropical Westerly Jet: WD systems are embedded in the mid-latitude Subtropical Westerly Jet (SWJ), which directs their eastward movement.
• The SWJ: This is a fast-moving, high-altitude wind current that flows from west to east between latitudes 20° and 40° in the upper atmosphere.
• Moisture Sources: As WD systems travel across West Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, they pick up moisture from the Caspian Sea (to the north) and the Persian Gulf (to the south) before reaching India.
• Himalayan Obstruction: Upon reaching the Himalayas, the disturbances are blocked, causing orographic rainfall in the plains and snowfall in the western Himalayas.

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