New Delhi: After making a slow progress, the Southwest Monsoon has gained momentum and advance further into several parts of the country. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), monsoon is likely to hit the national capital in next 2-3 days.
The IMD said that conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into remaining parts of north India.
"But the depression will not have a long term impact on monsoon. Even Gujarat has started receiving good rains now. Over the next 2-3 days, monsoon will again spread to parts of northwest India. This include Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and a large part of Rajasthan. The progress of monsoon will be speedy now," Director General of IMD Laxman Singh Rathore said.
The normal date for monsoon to hit Delhi is June 29 but a deep depression in the Arabian Sea off Gujarat coast had affected the pace of the southwest monsoon and taken away a lot of moisture.
The Northern Limit of Monsoon (NLM) now passes through Dwarka, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Sawai Madhopur, Gwalior, Lucknow, Pantnagar, Dehradun, Una and Jammu, the IMD said.
The MeT department also noted that rainfall in Delhi will increase throughout the month.
The weather department has forecast an "above normal" monsoon this year. However, its onset over Kerala, which marks the commencement of the rainy season in the country, was on June 8, seven days later than predicted.
Meanwhile, Delhiites on Monday found a respite from the scorching heat when pre-monsoon shower lashed the city.
Overall rainfall deficiency reduced to 13 pc
Meanwhile, overall rainfall deficiency in the country has reduced to 13 per cent. Deficiency in east and northwest India hovers around 26 per cent while in central India it is around 23 per cent.
However, the positive side is formation of a low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal. This is expected to bring in more rains along the eastern coast.
"Heavy rain very likely at isolated places over MP, Odisha, CAP, Telangana, North and south interior Karnataka and Andaman & Nicobar Islands during next 24 hrs. Heavy to very heavy rain very likely at isolated places over Vidarbha, Chattisgarh, Konkan & Goa, Coastal Karnataka and Kerala during next 24 hrs (sic)," the IMD tweeted.
