New Delhi, March 6 -- The declining intensity of western disturbances, as storms that originate in the Mediterranean region are called, is altering winter rainfall patterns northwest India, with potential implications for year-end crops, water availability, and the Himalayan snowpack.

Reduced precipitation could heighten temperature variability and prolong dry spells, raising concerns for agriculture and water security, warn experts.

Formed in the Mediterranean region, western disturbances travel eastward with westerly winds. They make for the primary source of rainfall and snowfall in northwest and north India in winter months.

Though the number of western disturbances in the last three months was the highest in the last five years, t...