Cold to severe cold wave is likely to engulf parts of North, East and central India over the next two days, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday. Several parts of north India have been reeling under a spell of severe cold wave over the last week.

The IMD in its daily weather report said due to persistence of cold northwesterly winds in lower levels over northwest India, and other favourable meteorological conditions, "cold day to severe cold day conditions" in many pockets very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, north Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh during next 2 days.

Cold wave conditions are likely to abate from these regions from December 31 onwards, the IMD said.

Dense fog at isolated pockets also very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, north Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh during next three days and over north Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and Odisha during next two days and over northeastern India during next 4-5 days and abate thereafter, it said.

A fresh Western Disturbance is very likely to affect the western Himalayan region from December 30 night onwards, it said.

Under the influence of this western disturbance, major parts of northwest and central India are very likely to experience fairly widespread to widespread rainfall accompanied with hailstorm at isolated places during December 31-January 1, it said.