Monsoon today roared into Delhi and hit Punjab and Haryana almost a fortnight in advance as heavy rains lashed northern India, driving away the heat and spreading cheer among the people.
Strong easterlies pushed the monsoon clouds over the national capital with seasonal rains now having covered the entire country almost a month in advance, MeT officials said.
Rainfall recorded in nine hours in the city till 5.30 P.M. was 36.6-mm, the MeT department added.
"Monsoon has reached Delhi today and also covered the entire country," India Meteorological Department director Brahm Prakash Yadav told PTI. The normal date for the arrival of monsoon in Delhi is June 29.
Monsoon rains, which usually cover the entire country by July 15, had covered two-thirds of its landmass by Friday.
Rains in Delhi led to water-logging and traffic snarls in some areas with the MeT office forecasting heavy showers in some parts of the city tomorrow.
Moderate to heavy rainfall and thundershowers, meanwhile, occurred at several places in Uttar Pradesh in the last 24 hours. According to the weatherman, monsoon clouds further advanced in UP to cover the entire state today.
Konaon and Najibabad received 5-cm rainfall each while Shaharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Nagina and Deoband, too, reported showers.
Arriving almost a fortnight before its usual date, monsoon had today covered all of Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, MeT officials said.
