The temperature in north India remained largely high on July 4 and the weather department has ruled out any progress of the monsoon in the region before July 7. This, even as some parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan saw light to moderate rainfall over the weekend.
News agency PTI cited the India Meteorological Department (IMD) as saying that conditions are not favourable for the monsoon's progress due to the lack of a weather system.
Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), Haryana, parts of west Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and west Rajasthan are yet to see the arrival of the monsoon.
In its forecast for July, the had said the country as a whole would witness good rainfall. However, parts of north India, some parts of the peninsula, central, east and northeast India could witness rainfall in the category of normal to below normal, the weather department 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, according to the IMD.
PTI quoted M Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences as saying that southwest monsoon is again set to enter an active phase and that forecast models showed signs of increasing rain activity from July 8.
Soaring temperatures
On July 4, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 39.8 degrees Celsius. Neighbouring Gurugram 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 percent.
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.
Earlier, the IMD forecast that the wind system might reach Delhi by June 15.
Normally, the monsoon reaches Delhi by June 27 and covers the entire country by July 8.
The southwest monsoon reaches western Rajasthan by the first week of July. The region is also its last outpost in the country to cover. It reaches northwest Rajasthan late and also withdraws from there early. The southwest monsoon made an onset over Kerala on June 3, two days after its normal date. But then it made rapid progress covering many parts of east, west, south, and central India before the normal date.
(With inputs from PTI)