Wet spell over northwest, central India till January 9

There would be a wet spell over northwest India and central India till January 9 and no cold wave conditions are likely over north India during next 6-7 days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.

"There is a Western Disturbance as a trough in westerlies in lower and middle tropospheric levels with its axis at 5.8 km above mean sea level. Under its influence, an induced cyclonic circulation has formed over southwest Rajasthan and adjoining Pakistan at lower tropospheric levels. There is moisture feeding from Arabian Sea over northwest India and likely to continue during next two days," the IMD said in a bulletin.

Fairly widespread to widespread light/moderate rainfall/snowfall is very likely over Western Himalayan Region on Wednesday and scattered on January 6. Isolated heavy rainfall/snowfall is very likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad on Wednesday and also over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on Wednesday.

Scattered to fairly widespread light/moderate rainfall is very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, north Rajasthan, and west Uttar Pradesh till January 6, isolated to scattered over south Rajasthan, Gujarat, west Madhya Pradesh, and east Uttar Pradesh on January 5 and 6.

The IMD also said that isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Punjab on January 5, isolated thunderstorm activity accompanied with hailstorms very likely over Punjab and Haryana and Chandigarh on Wednesday and over east Uttar Pradesh and west Madhya Pradesh on January 6.

Thereafter, an intense Western Disturbance is very likely to affect northwest India from the night January 6 onwards and under its influence, an induced cyclonic circulation very likely to form over southwest Rajasthan and neighbourhood on January 7, the IMD said, adding, "High moisture feeding from Arabian Sea is also very likely over northwest India during January 7 to 9."

Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall/snowfall is very likely over Western Himalayan Region during January 7 to 9 and decrease thereafter. Isolated heavy rainfall/snowfall is likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad during the same time and then over Himachal Pradesh on January 8 & 9.

"Scattered to fairly widespread light/moderate rainfall/thunderstorm over plains of northwest & adjoining central India during January 7-9 while isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Punjab on January 7 and 8 and over Haryana on January 8.

Isolated thunderstorm activity accompanied with hailstorms is very likely over Punjab, east Uttar Pradesh, west Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan on January 7 and over east Madhya Pradesh on January 7 and 8.

Minimum temperatures are above normal by 2 to 5 degrees Celsius over most parts of northwest India (excluding Uttar Pradesh), west Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and near normal over rest part of north and adjoining central India. "A gradual rise in minimum temperatures by 2-4 degrees Celsius is very likely over most parts of northwest and central India during next two days and no significant change thereafter for subsequent three days. Hence, no cold wave conditions likely over northwest India during next 6-7 days," the IMD said.