Enhanced rainfall/snowfall over western Himalayan region: IMD

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday warned of enhanced rainfall/snowfall with isolated heavy falls over Western Himalayan Region and enhanced rainfall activity over plains of northwest India till January 9.

However, there will be no cold wave conditions likely over north India during the next 4-5 days.

"Fairly widespread to widespread light/moderate rainfall/snowfall over Western Himalayan Region is till January 9 and will decrease significantly thereafter. Isolated heavy rainfall/snowfall is expected over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad on Saturday and Sunday," the IMD warning said.

Isolated heavy rainfall/snowfall is very likely over Himachal Pradesh till January 9.

"The Western Disturbance as a cyclonic circulation lies over south Afghanistan and neighbourhood in lower and middle tropospheric levels with trough aloft in upper tropospheric levels. The induced cyclonic circulation lies over southwest Rajasthan and adjoining south Pakistan at lower tropospheric levels.

"There is high moisture feeding from Arabian Sea over northwest and adjoining central India in lower and middle tropospheric levels and is very likely to continue during next 2-3 days. The confluence of winds from Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal at lower tropospheric levels is very likely over central India during the next 4-5 days," the IMD bulletin said.

Fairly widespread to widespread light/moderate rainfall is very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, north Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh till January 9 and decrease significantly thereafter. Scattered to fairly widespread light/moderate rainfall very likely over Madhya Pradesh till January 11 and over Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh during 9 to 11."

The IMD also predicted isolated thunderstorms with lightning/hail very likely over Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, west Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, east Madhya Pradesh on Saturday and Sunday, Vidarbha on January 9 and 10 and over Chhattisgarh on January 10 and 11.