Pre-monsoon showers lash Delhi, Punjab and Haryana

New Delhi: The long-awaited monsoon reached the capital Monday after a six-day delay with the met office predicting that the rainfall this season "will be good".

"The monsoon reached the city on Monday. Even though the city missed its usual monsoon date June 29, the rainfall for this season will be good," BP Yadav, director of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), told IANS.

The city recorded 57.8 mm of rainfall till 8:30 a.m. Monday with 97 percent humidity.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 25.5 degrees Celsius, three notches below the average. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 33 degrees Celsius, another IMD official said.

Last year, the monsoon arrived in the capital June 30.

Pre-monsoon showers overnight and early Monday brought respite from the sweltering heat in Chandigarh and parts of Punjab and Haryana also.

"There were continuous spells of moderate to heavy rainfall in this region Sunday night and this morning.

The continuous rains affected normal life. Traffic was hit due to water logging in Chandigarh and in Punjab. Power supply was disrupted in various areas.

Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded a maximum temperature of 33.1 degrees Celsius and a minimum temperature of 22.6 degrees Monday. The city received 117.8 mm rainfall since Sunday.

Amritsar recorded a maximum temperature of 36.6 degrees Celsius. Patiala and Ludhiana cities recorded 32.1 and 28.4 degrees Celsius respectively.

In Haryana, Ambala registered a maximum temperature of 34.9 degrees Celsius Monday and received 174 mm rainfall since Sunday.