Western disturbance brings rain, snowfall to Western Himalayas; isolated heavy falls and hailstorms expected today

Dewas (Madhya Pradesh) [India], January 28 (ANI): A Western disturbance is bringing rain and snowfall to the Western Himalayas, with isolated heavy falls and hailstorms expected on January 27-28, 2026, according to the India Meteorological Department.
Light/moderate rainfall likely at some places over the adjoining plains of northwest India and Madhya Pradesh, along with isolated hailstorms on 27th January, 2026.
Dense fog and cold wave warnings have been issued for Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and other areas. A fresh Western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from the night of 30th January, 2026.
Temperature: Minimum temperatures are expected to drop by 3-5°C in Northwest India, Central India, and Gujarat over the next 2 days, according to IMD.
The Dewas region of Madhya Pradesh experienced strong winds and hailstorms that lashed parts of the state on Wednesday morning from 7 am to 7:30 am.
The hailstorm and strong winds destroyed crops in the area. A local resident shared her experience with ANI that "It hails a lot and people faces lot of damage."
Local people have suffered crop damage, including to potato and garlic crops, due to hailstorms.
A local resident of Dewas, Ratan Singh, speaking to ANI, said, "People have faced a huge loss. Potato, garlic, onion, wheat, including chick pea, every crop incurred damage."
The hailstorms, along with rain occured in the morning for around half an hour. Ratan Singh, a local resident, said, "The hailstorm continued till 7 to 7:30 PM."
Ratan Singh, a local, said, "It is now upto the government. The strong winds have also broken many trees, blown off roofs, and caused damage to houses. So, we suffered a lot of damage from this hailstorm."
Western Disturbances (WDs) are crucial extra-tropical weather systems originating in the Mediterranean region, bringing winter rain and snow to North India, vital for Rabi crops (wheat) by replenishing soil moisture, and causing temperature fluctuations, fog, and influencing summer monsoons, all driven by the Westerly Jet Stream.
They are low-pressure systems that pick up moisture as they travel across West Asia, Iran, and Afghanistan. When they hit the Himalayas, the air rises, cools, and condenses, causing rain on plains and snow in higher altitudes. (ANI)