New Delhi, Jan 4 (IANS): The India Meteorological Department has said that a fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect Western Himalayan Region from Thursday.

As a result, no significant change in minimum temperatures is likely during the next 2-3 days over northwest India. However, it could gradually fall by 2-4 degrees Celsius over some parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi as well as west Rajasthan during subsequent two days.

Isolated heavy rain, snowfall is also expected over Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad on January 4 & 5, over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on January 5 and isolated heavy rainfall over northern parts of Punjab on January 4 and 5.

"All these favourable meteorological features are likely to persist till January 5 and continue to cause moderate to intense wet spell with fairly widespread to widespread precipitation accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning over northwest India during next three days," said the MeT department.

A north-south zone of wind confluence continues to exist from North Punjab to Northeast Arabian Sea, with strong interaction between south westerly in association with the above Western Disturbance and lower level moist southeasterlies.

An active Western Disturbance lies as a middle and upper level cyclonic circulation over Central Pakistan and neighbourhood with its induced cyclonic circulation over southwest Rajasthan & neighbourhood at lower levels.

The Delhi-NCR region too received light showers in the afternoon and some parts of western UP and Haryana too received rainfall and light showers.