Thunderstorms | 09 May 2024

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a fresh western disturbance is poised to affect Northwest India, whose influence will surge a myriad of different types of weather over the region.

Rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds has been forecast over most parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand from 9^th to 12^th May 2024.
Western disturbances are storms that originate in the Caspian or Mediterranean Sea, and bring non-monsoonal rainfall to northwest India.
They are labelled as an extra-tropical storm originating in the Mediterranean, is an area of low pressure that brings sudden showers, snow and fog in northwest India.
It brings winter and pre-monsoon rain and is important for the development of the Rabi crop in the Northern subcontinent.
It is not always the harbingers of good weather. Sometimes it can cause extreme weather events like floods, flash floods, landslides, dust storms, hail storms and cold waves killing people, destroying infrastructure and impacting livelihoods.

These crops are sown around the Retreating Monsoon and Northeast monsoon season, which begins in October and are called rabi or winter crops.
The harvest for these crops happens typically during April and May, during the summer season.
These crops are not much affected by the rainfall.
Major Rabi crops are wheat, gram, peas, barley etc.
A warm climate is required for seed germination and cold climate for the growth of crops.