New Delhi, Jun 15 (IANS): Due to approaching mid-latitude 'westerlies' (winds), the further progress of the monsoon over remaining parts of northwest India is likely to be slow, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.

The northern limit of monsoon (NLM) continues to pass through 20.5 degrees north longitude and 60 degrees east, or across Diu, Surat, Nandurbar, Bhopal, Nowgong, Hamirpur, Barabanki, Bareilly, Saharanpur, Ambala and Amritsar.

Giving reason for the sudden change in weather, the IMD's National Weather Forecasting Centre said: "Low pressure area lies over east Uttar Pradesh and adjoining Bihar and associated cyclonic circulation extends up to mid-tropospheric.

"The trough at mean sea level runs from northwest Rajasthan to northwest Bay of Bengal, across Haryana and southwest Uttar Pradesh while the centre of low-pressure area lies over east Uttar Pradesh and adjoining Bihar, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal and extends up to 9 km above mean sea level."

Under the influence of the weather changes, the IMD predicted fairly widespread rainfall with isolated thunderstorm and lightning over most parts of east, central and northeast India during next 4-5 days.

Scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with isolated thunderstorm and lightning over most parts of northwest India is also expected during next two days and decrease in rainfall activity thereafter, except east Uttar Pradesh where fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is likely to continue during next 4-5 days.

Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over east Uttar Pradesh is also predicted during next five days.

An offshore trough runs from the north Maharashtra coast to the north Kerala coast, and under its influence, widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls, thunderstorm and lightning is very likely over south Konkan and Goa, Karnataka and Kerala and Mahe during next three days.