NEW DELHI, Jul 4: The weather in the north Indian plains was largely hot on Sunday and the meteorological department ruled out any progress of the monsoon in the region before July 7, even as isolated parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan saw light to moderate rainfall.
Delhi, Haryana, parts of west Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and west Rajasthan are yet to see the arrival of the monsoon. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said conditions are not favourable for the monsoon’s progress due to the lack of a weather system.
In its forecast for July, the IMD said the country as a whole would witness good rainfall. However, parts of north India, some parts of south peninsula, central, east and northeast India could witness rainfall in the category of normal to below normal, it added.
After a good spell of rains in the first two and half weeks of June, the southwest monsoon has not advanced further since June 19. The northern limit of the southwest monsoon (NLM) is currently passing through Aligarh, Meerut, Ambala and Amritsar, the IMD said.
According to Ministry of Earth Sciences Secretary M Rajeevan, the southwest monsoon is again set to enter an active phase and that forecast models showed signs of increasing rain activity from July 8.
On Sunday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 39.8 degrees Celsius, while neighbouring Gurgaon saw the mercury rise to 42 degrees Celsius, the highest in Haryana.
The minimum temperature in the national capital settled at 26.2 degrees Celsius, and the relative humidity was recorded at 68 per cent.
The weather office said the city was likely to see partly cloudy skies with the possibility of thunder and lightning on Monday. The minimum and the maximum temperatures will be settling around 27 and 40 degrees Celsius respectively, it added.
In Haryana, Hisar recorded a high of 40.6 degrees Celsius, up two notches against normal limits, while Narnaul and Bhiwani recorded respective maximum temperatures of 40.5 and 39.8 degrees Celsius, according to the Meteorological Department in Chandigarh.
Ambala recorded a high of 38.1 degrees Celsius, up three notches against the normal, while Karnal’s maximum settled at 37 degrees Celsius, two notches above the normal.
In Punjab, Bathinda recorded a high of 41 degrees Celsius, up three notches against the normal. Patiala recorded a maximum temperature of 38.8 degrees Celsius, which is four notches above the normal for this time of the year.
Amritsar recorded a maximum of 38.5 degrees Celsius, up two notches, while Ludhiana’s high settled at 36.6 degrees Celsius, one notch above the normal.
Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a high of 37.5 degrees Celsius, up two notches against the normal.
Rain and thundershowers occurred in isolated parts of Uttar Pradesh, even as the Fatehgarh observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 42.2 degrees Celsius, the highest in the state.
Rainfall was recorded in Bahraich, Sonbhadra, Lalitpur, Shahjahanpur, Ghazipur and Maharajganj. The weather department in Lucknow has predicted rain and thundershowers at a few places over eastern Uttar Pradesh and at isolated places over the western part of the state on July 6.
In Rajasthan, a few places, including the state capital, received light rainfall during the day. Churu, Sawai Madhopur, Chittorgarh, Jaipur and Vanasthali received 11 mm, 10.5 mm, 3 mm, 2.7 mm and 0.1 mm downpour since the morning, according to the Met department.
Pilani was recorded as the hottest place in the state at 41.6 degree Celsius, followed by Sri Ganganagar at 41.5 degrees Celsius. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel