Fresh western disturbance likely to bring rain, gusty winds to parts of Rajasthan

Parts of Rajasthan are likely to experience light to moderate rainfall over the next few days under the influence of a fresh western disturbance, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.

According to the weather office, a new western disturbance is expected to become active over the state within the next 24 hours . Its impact is likely to begin from Tuesday afternoon , bringing cloudy conditions and light rain at isolated places. The effect is forecast to intensify on Wednesday, particularly over the Bikaner, Ajmer, Jaipur, Bharatpur and Kota divisions , as well as the Shekhawati region , where light to moderate rainfall may occur in some areas. Gusty winds with speeds of 30–40 kmph are also likely at isolated places during this period.

A western disturbance is an extratropical cyclone that originates over the Mediterranean region and moves eastwards across West Asia , Afghanistan and Pakistan before reaching northern parts of India. These systems are embedded in the subtropical westerly jet stream and play a crucial role in shaping winter weather over north and northwest India.

Western disturbances are especially important for India as they are the primary source of winter rainfall in states such as Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and snowfall in the western Himalayan region . This precipitation is vital for rabi crops like wheat, mustard and barley , helps recharge groundwater,they reduce pollution and contributes to maintaining snow cover in the Himalayas, which supports river flows during warmer months.

The mechanism involves the transport of moisture-laden air from the Mediterranean and surrounding seas. As the system approaches the Indian subcontinent, it interacts with local atmospheric conditions, leading to cloud formation, rainfall and, at times, strong winds or hailstorms.

Meanwhile, the IMD said that weather conditions remained dry across Rajasthan during the past 24 hours. Alwar recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the state at 7.4 degrees Celsius.