Monsoon set to arrive in Capital over next 48 hours

NEW DELHI: The south-west monsoon is set to arrive in Delhi and will cover most parts of north-west India by Tuesday, almost a fortnight ahead of schedule, the India Meteorological Department said on Sunday.

The expected early arrival of the monsoon will cap what has largely been a cooler-than-usual summer this year in Delhi, a city known for its scorching summer. Scattered spells of rain brought on by two cyclonic storms, along with a series of western disturbances, through April to June have given Delhi a relatively easy summer this year.

IMD officials said monsoon is on course to cover most areas of north-west India by Tuesday. “Conditions are favourable for further advancement of southwest monsoon into most parts Madhya Pradesh, remaining parts of east Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, more parts of west Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab during next 48 hours,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of IMD’S regional weather forecasting centre said on Sunday.

On Saturday, HT had reported that the monsoon was around two weeks ahead of schedule due to a low-pressure system building up over the Bay of Bengal and was set to advance over Delhi and most parts of northwest India by June 15. The southwest monsoon generally arrives in Delhi by June 27-28.

While the south-west monsoon arrived two days late in Kerala coast on June 3 this year, it picked up pace soon after and has, since then, been sweeping across the country several days ahead of schedule.

IMD OFFICIALS SAID MONSOON IS ON COURSE TO COVER MOST AREAS OF NORTH-WEST INDIA BY TUESDAY