Monsoon finally arrives in Delhi

New Delhi, July 2 (IANS) The southwest monsoon finally reached Delhi on Sunday, with heavy rains lashing the national capital along with Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, the India Meteorological Department said.

"Monsoon has finally reached the entire National Capital Region and some parts of Haryana," an IMD official said.

Eastern Uttar Pradesh, which had been reeling under drought like conditions, also got the first monsoon rains on Sunday.

"The southwest monsoon has advanced into some more parts of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh and remaining parts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand," the IMD said.

With this, all 36 sub-divisions of country are now under the cover of monsoon, it said.

The IMD has predicted heavy rains in east Rajasthan in the next 24 hours and over Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh during the next three-four days.

"Monsooon has covered Delhi to Sonipat in Haryana. Though some parts of Haryana are left out, they will be covered within 24 hours," said Mahesh Palawat, Director of the private weather analyst agency Skymet.

The arrival of monsoon in Delhi is timely and within the standard deviation of seven days.

According to IMD, India will receive 98 per cent rainfall this monsoon between June and September with an error estimate of four per cent. The rainfall below 90 per cent is considered deficient and at 95 per cent it is considered below normal.

Between 96 and 104 per cent rainfall indicates normal monsoon and between 105 and 110 per cent above normal monsoon.