What is Western Disturbance?
The Western Disturbance is an extratropical thunderstorm that occurs in the equatorial region, which brings rain in winter in the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent. This rain is different from the monsoon rain.
Western Disturbance |
Construction of western disturbance
Western disturbance originates in the Mediterranean Sea as an extratropical tropical cyclone. A high pressure area is formed in Ukraine and the surrounding area, causing cold air from the polar regions to run towards an area with comparatively hot and high humidity air.
As a result, a suitable situation is created for cyclogenesis in the upper atmosphere, due to which a pressure is produced moving towards the east. This pressure gradually increases from the Middle East and enters Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan and enters the Indian continent.
Effect of western disturbance
The Western Disturbance helps in bringing light to heavy rain in the lower regions of the Indian subcontinent and heavy snowfall in the mountainous regions.
When the western disturbance comes, clouds are clouded in the sky and the night temperature rises and there is untimely rain. This rain has great importance for farming, especially for Rabi crops. This benefits wheat, which is an important crop for India and has a major contribution in India's food security.
If rainfall exceeds the Western Disturbance, the crop can be destroyed as well as disasters like landslides, avalanches and floods. Sometimes cold winds blow in the Ganges and Yamuna plains and Ghana gets a fog.
When the Western Disturbance comes towards northwest India before the onset of the monsoon, for some time the monsoon seems to have come before its time.