New Delhi,  East and northeast India will see a wet spell during the next 48 hours and dry weather thereafter while there would be cold wave conditions in isolated pockets over northwest India during next 4-5 days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast on Wednesday.

"The Western Disturbance as a cyclonic circulation lies over northwest Uttar Pradesh and neighbourhood at lower tropospheric levels with the trough aloft in middle tropospheric levels. A cyclonic circulation lies over east Uttar Pradesh and adjoining Bihar, and a trough runs from the cyclonic circulation to Telangana at lower tropospheric levels. Under the influence of these systems, light isolated rainfall is very likely over Uttar Pradesh, east Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Vidarbha during next 24 hours and dry weather over northwest and central India during subsequent five days," the IMD said.

Light/moderate scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with isolated thunderstorm, lightning and hailstorm is very likely over Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, and Sikkim during next 24 hours and dry weather thereafter.

Heavy rainfall is also likely over north interior Odisha during next 24 hours, IMD said, adding: "Light/moderate scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with isolated thunderstorm, lightning & hailstorm also likely over eastern parts on December 30, and dry weather over the region thereafter."

A fresh intense Western Disturbance is likely to affect the Western Himalayan Region during January 4 to 7 and over plains of northwest India during January 5 to 7, 2022.

"Light/moderate scattered to fairly widespread rainfall over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, north Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh during January 5 to 7 and light isolated rainfall is also likely over Madhya Pradesh, south Rajasthan and Gujarat on January 6 & 7 January," IMD said.

Meanwhile, there would be a fall in minimum temperatures by 2-4 degrees Celsius over most parts of northwest and central India during the next 48 hours and no significant change thereafter.

Cold wave/severe cold wave conditions are likely in isolated/some parts of Punjab during December 30 to January 3, north Rajasthan during December 31 to January 3, and Haryana and Chandigarh during December 31 to January 2.

Also, dense fog in isolated pockets is very likely over Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh in night/morning hours during next two days and over east India during next three days, the IMD said.