Rain showers to interrupt dry February across parts of India

By Courtney Spamer, AccuWeather meteorologist

WEATHER FORECASTS Updated Feb. 21, 2020 12:13 PM

February is typically a dry time of year for India and that has been the case this year with scant rainfall totals reported across the country. However, a change in the weather pattern will bring the return of storms.

Showers began to develop in far northern India late Thursday before spreading to the south and east through the end of the week.

By the end of the weekend, northern suburbs from Delhi to Kolkata could each receive a shower or two, but the more persistent showers will occur between the two cities.

"The most numerous showers will be found across northwestern India in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and western Uttar Pradesh," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty.

Showers are forecast to continue at times through Monday across these areas and spread to the coasts of Odisha and West Bengal. A couple of showers can also spill over the boarder into Bangladesh.

Rainfall amounts will likely total less than 10 mm (0.40 of an inch), which is about the average total rainfall for the month of February in much of this region. There could, however, be a few places that experience a heavy downpour.

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Downpours could slow travel across much of northwestern India as they move through the area, and some localized flooding is possible given how dry it's been lately.

Additionally, the showers will replace the hazy conditions and help improve air quality.

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These showers come during a time of year when rainfall totals are typically meager. As of Feb. 18, Delhi has been totally dry since the start of the month. The city of Lucknow has also had a dry February, with less than 1 mm (less than 0.03 of an inch) of rainfall since mid-January.

In addition to rain moving through northern India, a few showers will move from the Bay of Bengal into the Indian Ocean, bringing some showers across Sri Lanka and the southern tip of India.

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