A pleasant weather prevailed in the national Capital on Thursday with the city along with several neighbouring areas receiving sporadic rain and the maximum temperature recording a dip. Parts of North Delhi receive rains in the morning bringing the mercury down by nearly seven degrees. According to the Met forecast pre-monsoon intermittent spells of rain / thundershowers are expected over Delhi between June 15 and June 17.The maximum temperature will also remain below normal for the next 10 days.
According to Met officials, monsoon is expected to arrive a week earlier than scheduled this year. It is expected to hit Delhi on June 22 as against its usual time of June 29.
"In the past few years there has been a tendency for sluggish advance of monsoon over some parts of Northern India, particularly Uttar Pradesh. However, this year monsoon will arrive in Uttar Pradesh on time. It is likely to advance over some parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh on June 15 and June 16. It will progress rapidly towards northwest India ," a senior Met official said.
Vikram Singh, Director of the Indian Metrological Department said, "Once the cloud develops over the sea (Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal) it moves towards the land. Thereafter, there is northward propagation. This depends on the strength of the cloud (cluster) which has been developed.
At times it covers large areas of the land very fast, this happens when the pulse comes more in succession. However, when the pulse is delayed (gap) monsoon takes extra time to arrive. This year the monsoon arrived on 1st June. The pulse since then remained in succession. So far three to four cloud bands have moved northward bringing monsoon. The monsoon has advanced towards to most parts of Gujrat, South Rajasthan and some parts of Madhya Pradesh."
Meanwhile, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh received rainfall on Thursday. The maximum temperatures plummeted by 14 degrees. In Chandigarh 90 mm rainfall was recorded. Almost all parts of Punjab received rainfall, including ludhiana (87 mm), Patiala (53mm) and Amritsar (27mm). It also rained in Haryana where Panchkula recorded 70 mm rainfall. Rain continued for the fourth straight day in Himachal Pradesh which triggered landslides at several places — Hamirpur, Una, Kangra and Chamba districts.
Intermittent rainfall and thundershowers lashed the lower, middle and higher hills of Himachal with Ghamroor recording the highest rainfall of 65 mm followed by Una (53 mm) and Dharamsala.
In Delhi, the maximum temperature simmered down by nearly 7 degrees as it settled at 32.8 degree Celsius as against Wednesday which recorded 39.2 degree Celsius. The minimum temperature on Thursday remained at 28.8 Degree Celsius, one notch above normal. The humidity persistently remained high, with the maximum humidity being 78 per cent and minimum being 62 per cent.