In several parts of the Western Himalayas, including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand today, widespread and heavy snowfall is likely to occur. Many parts of Northwest India continue to receive rain and thunderstorms.

According to the India Meteorological Department, thunderstorms, hail and lightning are likely in many areas of the northwestern plains, including Delhi today (IMD).

An active Western disturbance, with its triggered cyclonic circulation over southwest Rajasthan, lies as a middle and upper-level cyclonic circulation over Central Pakistan. There appears to be a north-south wind confluence region from north Punjab to the northeast Arabian Sea, with a heavy contact between south-western winds and damp southeasterlies of lower altitude. All these rain-friendly meteorological characteristics are likely to persist and continue to trigger a mild to severe wet spell with widespread rain followed over the next 3 days by thunderstorms and lightning over northwest India, IMD said in its Monday bulletin.  

Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi are likely to have hailstorms in isolated areas on January 4 and 5, and West Uttar Pradesh on January 5. Heavy rain or snowfall is also probable on January 4 and 5 over J&K, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan & Muzaffarabad; on January 5 over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand; and localised heavy rainfall on January 4 and 5 over northern parts of Punjab.

As of January 7, a new western disturbance is likely to impact the Western Himalayan region. As a result, no major improvement in minimum temperatures over northwestern India is expected during the next 2-3 days, the bulletin said.

Western disruption occurs as a cyclonic circulation through central Pakistan. Southwestern and southeastern winds create a confluence or interaction that triggers intense weather. An induced cyclonic circulation over Rajasthan is also present. A lot of rain and thunderstorms are seen in our radar images over Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, East Rajasthan and Haryana. There may have been a hailstorm as well. On Tuesday, comparable weather may continue, but from Wednesday, the spatial distribution and severity will decrease. The Western Himalayan area is approaching a comparatively weak Western Disturbance on January 7, K Sathi Devi, head of the national weather forecasting centre, said on Monday.