The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued warnings for heavy to very heavy rainfall across North India on April 3-4 due to an active Western Disturbance interacting with a lower-level easterly wind convergence. States expected to receive significant precipitation include Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, and parts of western Uttar Pradesh.
The Western Disturbance, an extratropical storm originating from the Mediterranean region, is a crucial weather system for the Indian subcontinent during winter and pre-monsoon months. It brings much-needed moisture for rabi crops, particularly wheat in the Indo-Gangetic plains. However, the IMD has also warned of potential risks including flash floods in hilly areas, landslides in vulnerable zones, and damage to standing crops if accompanied by hailstorms. Temperature drops of 3-5 degrees Celsius are expected across the plains of North India. The IMD has advised farmers to take precautionary measures to protect harvested and standing crops.