Monsoon on Sunday advanced to parts of north India bringing heavy rains which led to mercury hovering below normal, giving respite to people from hot and humid conditions.
After a delay of over a fortnight, the south-west monsoon descended over parts of Rajasthan, Haryana and Chandigarh while the seasonal phenomenon is expected to hit the national capital in the next couple of days.
Temperature remained within normal levels as people finally heaved a sigh of relief after experiencing scorching heat this season with temperature clocking the high forties on several occasions.
Gurgaon in Haryana recorded 160 mm rainfall while Nangal Dam and its catchment areas received 47 mm of rains since last evening. The downpour resulted in considerable drop in mercury but the high humidity posed problems for the citizens.
Monsoon rains lashed Udaipur, Kota, Jhalawar and Bharatpur in Rajasthan since last night. However, it is yet to progress to north-west regions of Jodhpur, Barmer, Jaislamer, Bikaner, Churu and Sikar where the hot conditions prevailed.
National capital Delhi too experienced rains which brought down the temperature considerably. However, the MeT Department termed them as 'pre-monsoon showers' and said the monsoon will hit the city in the next couple of days. Palam recorded an overnight rainfall of 29.9 mm, followed by Ayanagar 21.5 mm, Lodhi road 16.4 mm, Safdarjung 15.9 mm and Ridge area 1.8 mm.
The night temperature in the city settled at comfortable 25.5 C against 30.5 degrees yesterday. Heavy rains also lashed mid and lower areas of Himachal Pradesh that led to fall in temperature. However the upper areas were comparatively warmer.
Picturesque Shimla recorded 12 mm of rains as the maximum plunged to 19 degrees. The state capital, however, remained engulfed in thick fog that considerably reduced visibility, hampering vehicular flow. PTI
