Scattered rains keep temperatures in check in north India; no significant change likely in 4-5 days

Scattered rainfall and thundershowers in several parts of northern India led to below-normal temperatures in the region on Sunday, with the weather department ruling out any significant rise in the mercury over the next four-five days.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the southwest monsoon was advancing with favourable conditions and was expected to arrive in West Bengal and Odisha by June 11-12.

No heatwave is likely over the country in the next five days, it added.

In Delhi, light rains brought the mercury below the 35 degrees Celsius-mark during the day. The Safdarjung Observatory recorded 5.6 mm rainfall till 5:30 pm and a maximum of 34.8 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal.

The weather office said partly cloudy sky and strong surface winds (up to 30 kilometres per hour) were likely on Monday and the maximum and minimum temperatures were expected to settle at 37 and 24 degrees Celsius respectively.

Moisture-laden easterly winds due to a probable low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal will bring rains in Delhi-NCR on June 12 and June 13, it said.

The mercury dropped in most of the parts of Rajasthan as well due to rainfall recorded since Saturday night.

Till 8.30 am on Sunday, 32 mm rainfall was recorded in Kotda of Udaipur, 31 mm in Ramgarh of Alwar, 30 mm in Alwar, 29 mm in Begusar of Chittorgarh, 28 mm in Jagpura of Banswara, 22 mm in Pali, 18 mm in Chittorgarh's Bhopalsagar, 14 mm in Alwar's Behror, 14 mm in Karauli, 14 mm in Salumbar of Udaipur, 10 mm in Danpur of Banswara, 10 mm in Pipalkunth in Pratapgarh, 10 mm in Sanchore and eight millimetre in Vallabhpur of Udaipur, the weather office said.

Kota received 15.4 mm rainfall during the day and Churu recorded 10.2 mm, besides a drizzle in Dabok, it said.

The maximum temperature was recorded at 41.6 degrees Celsius in Bikaner, 40.5 degrees Celsius in Jaisalmer, 39.6 degrees Celsius in Sriganganagar, 39.5 degrees Celsius in Barmer, 39.2 degrees Celsius in Churu, 38.8 degrees Celsius in Jodhpur, 38 degrees Celsius in Jaipur, 37.5 degrees Celsius in Ajmer, 36.2 degrees Celsius in Kota and 35.2 degrees Celsius in Dabok.

The Meteorological department has forecast strong winds with thunderstorms in Bikaner, Churu, Sriganganagar, Ajmer, Baran, Bhilwara, Bundi, Chittorgarh, Dungarpur, Jaipur, Jhalawar, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa, Sirohi and Udaipur.

The maximum temperatures across areas of Haryana and Punjab hovered 7-12 notches below normal limits following rainfall in isolated places in the two states between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a high of 31.6 degrees Celsius, seven notches below normal.

In Haryana, Ambala recorded a high of 31.7 degrees Celsius, Karnal 27.6 degrees Celsius, Hisar 34.5 degrees Celsius and Narnaul registered a maximum temperature of 36.5 degrees Celsius, the weather office said.

In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a high of 33.2 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana 33.6 degrees Celsius and Patiala 31.6 degrees Celsius.

Very light to light rain and thundershowers occurred at isolated places in Uttar Pradesh too.

Meerut received 26.2 mm rainfall, while Jhansi recorded 1.6 mm, the weather office said.

State capital Lucknow recorded a maximum temperature of 36.1 degrees Celsius, 3.5 degrees below the season's average, while the minimum temperature settled at 24.3 degrees Celsius.

Jhansi was the hottest place in the state at to 39.3 degrees Celsius, followed by Agra (38.1 degrees Celsius), Hardoi (37.5 degrees Celsius) and Allahabad and Kanpur (37.3 degrees Celsius each).

According to the Met department, the weather is most likely to remain dry in the state on Monday and Tuesday.

It has forecast rain/thundershower at isolated places in the state on June 10.

The IMD said the southwest monsoon has advanced into some more parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and the Bay of Bengal, adding that conditions were becoming favourable for its further advance.

With the likely formation of the low pressure area over east central Bay of Bengal by Tuesday, the monsoon is set to advance into West Bengal, Odisha, Sikkim and some parts of northeastern states by June 11-12, it said.