Heavy Rains and Gusty Winds Hit Delhi; Western Disturbances on the Rise Due to Climate Change
Early Friday morning brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region (NCR), resulting in waterlogging at multiple locations and causing disruptions to flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The adverse weather was attributed to the arrival of a fresh Western Disturbance over the northern and northwestern parts of India, as reported by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
This recent spell of unseasonal rain is part of a broader trend observed this year — a noticeable increase in the frequency of Western Disturbances.
According to a recent study by Climate Trends, a Delhi-based climate research organisation, the growing frequency of these weather systems is directly linked to rising global temperatures.
The report, released last week, indicates that these disturbances have been increasingly influencing the weather across the western Himalayas, causing intense rainfall, flash floods, and landslides, particularly in states like Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand during March and April.
The same systems have also played a role in preventing prolonged heat waves in the northwestern plains of India.
Dr. K J Ramesh, former Director General of Meteorology at IMD, noted that Western Disturbances had shown limited activity until January this year.
However, starting from late January, their frequency has risen sharply, bringing persistent effects on the western Himalayan region.
“The growing influence of Western Disturbances over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand is evident, and the increased rainfall in these areas is a clear indicator of the impact of climate change,” Dr. Ramesh explained in the Climate Trends report.
Western Disturbances are essentially extra-tropical cyclonic systems that originate in the region beyond Afghanistan and Iran. As they travel eastward, these systems draw moisture from several water bodies — including the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, and the Arabian Sea — and bring precipitation when they reach South Asia.
These disturbances are carried along by the subtropical westerly jet stream, a high-altitude, fast-moving air current flowing west to east over the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau.
Typically active during the boreal winter months (December to March), Western Disturbances significantly influence the climate over northern India, as well as parts of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia, including Tajikistan.
Their increasing frequency and altered behavior in recent months signal a shifting climate pattern, making them a crucial factor in both mitigating and exacerbating extreme weather events across the Indian subcontinent
