The W.D. having moved away, the projected fall in the night temperatures has started in the northern regions and central/western areas of India. A low of 2.4c was recorded at Amritsar on the 25th. and Delhi and cities in the Punjab have recorded lows of 5-7c . The IMD variation map shows the night temperatures in the nearly normal range now, after a long period of above normal tendencies. there are patches of below normal areas too. I project the nights to get cooler in the south too.

The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is an area of low pressure that forms where the Northeast Trade Winds meet the Southeast Trade Winds near the earth's equator. As these winds converge, moist air is forced upward. It moves toward the Southern Hemisphere from September through February and reverses direction in preparation for Northern Hemisphere Summer that occurs in the middle of the calendar year.

With the ITCZ ( having moved away southwards,there will be no system coming in the next week in the southern regions.Hence, the weather should be dry almost in the entire country for the next 8-10 days. As a result, the "wintry" effect will intensify proportionately throughuot the country from Christmas Day.

The winter, on the other hand, is very severe in many regions of China, and in the U.K. In the western hemisphere, the U.S. and Canada are facing a very harsh start to the winter season.

Extreme cold that had blanketed most of Siberia in recent days is now moving into China and the Koreas. Some high temperatures on Sunday include, -60 c at Oymyakon, Siberia. Numerous other locations in Siberia notched highs in the -50- to -60-degree range. Beijing, China, only managed to climb to -8.8c for an afternoon high on Sunday.

In the U.S., a massive winter storm blanketed the US West Coast with snow, sleet and ice while blizzards and snow squalls struck the Northeast and Midwest. The snow cover map says it all, and shows Canada covered with snow from shore- to -shore !

Even Las Vegas was transformed into a winter wonderland earlier this week, as more than 9cm (3.5 inches) of snow fell across the city, its heaviest snowfall in nearly 30 years. Residents and tourists were shocked to see the rare site of palm trees along the Las Vegas strip covered in a thick coating of snow.