Northwest India, including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, is likely to experience a fresh spell of rain and snowfall in the coming days, which scientists say could benefit rabi crops like wheat, mustard and barley.
Meanwhile, large parts of the country are expected to get relief from the cold, with minimum temperatures remaining largely stable over the next four days, before gradually increasing by 3-5 degrees Celsius over the next three days in selected regions, including northwest India, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its latest weather update on Sunday.
Light to moderate rainfall is forecast over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan during January 22-24. Keeping in view the prevailing and upcoming weather conditions, the IMD has issued an agro-meteorological advisory for farmers and livestock owners due to low temperatures, thunderstorms and gusty winds expected in several states.
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“Winter rains generally have a mixed but mostly positive impact on rabi crops, provided they are light to moderate and well distributed. For wheat, mustard and pulses, winter rains are beneficial as they improve soil moisture, promote grain formation and reduce the need for irrigation, especially in rainfed areas,” said a senior scientist at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on condition of anonymity.
The IMD also said isolated to scattered, light to moderate rainfall or snowfall is likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad and Himachal Pradesh during January 18-21, intensifying to fairly widespread to widespread rainfall during January 22-24. Isolated heavy snowfall is also expected over Kashmir-Ladakh and upper Himachal Pradesh on January 23. Uttarakhand may see similar conditions, with thunderstorms likely on January 23-24.
Farmers in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, East Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have been advised to use light and frequent irrigation of standing crops in the evening to protect them from cold stress.
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India’s rabi sowing in 2025-26 rose by more than 1.76 million hectares to 64.42 million hectares as of January 9, data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare showed. The area under rabi cultivation is 2.8% higher than a year ago and above the seasonal average of 63.78 million hectares, mainly due to increased acreage under wheat, rice, pulses and oilseeds.
In areas where thunderstorms or strong winds are likely to occur, IMD has advised farmers to provide mechanical support to horticultural crops and vegetables and young fruit plants to prevent lodging and damage.
On the weather front, large parts of the country are likely to see relief from cold conditions in the coming days as minimum temperatures begin to rise. The IMD predicts largely stable minimum temperatures in most parts of the country, with gradual warming expected in selected regions thereafter.
Minimum temperatures over Maharashtra are expected to remain largely unchanged during the next 24 hours, before increasing by 2-4 degrees Celsius over the next four days and then remaining largely unchanged for the next two days.
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Gujarat and East India are likely to witness a gradual rise in minimum temperatures by 2-3°C over the next three days, after which temperatures are expected to stabilize for about four days. Central India is also expected to see no significant change in minimum temperatures for the next four days followed by a gradual rise of 2-3°C over the next three days. No significant changes in minimum temperatures are expected in the remaining parts of the country.
Dense to very dense fog is very likely to persist over northwest India and Bihar during the next two to three days.
Meanwhile, minimum temperatures dropped sharply in parts of north and central India, with the IMD reporting cold conditions in several regions in the last 24 hours till 08:30 on Sunday. Temperatures ranged between 1°C and 4°C at most places in Himachal Pradesh, some parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and at isolated places in northwest Punjab and Uttarakhand. Many areas of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Southwest Bihar, North Rajasthan, North Madhya Pradesh, North Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand recorded minimum temperatures between 5°C and 9°C. The lowest minimum temperature over the plains was recorded at 1.7 °C at Amritsar in Punjab.