New Delhi, June 23: The monsoon is surging westward along the Gangetic plains towards Delhi even as it entered east Uttar Pradesh today, according to weather officials. The pre-monsoon thunderstorm activity should continue for the next two days for Delhi and nearby areas, Dr R D Singh from the Indian Meteorological Department's Safdarjung office said.

Dr S K Subramanian from the IMD said that monsoon was surging westward along the Gangetic plains towards Delhi.

Maintaining that monsoon was expected in Delhi around 29th June, the normal date, the officials said it depended on several parameters. "Dynamics keep changing," Singh said. Delhi already had recorded 91 mm rainfall till now which was more than the normal of 55 mm for June.
"Moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal branch of monsoon is leading to pre-monsoon showers in Delhi, Punjab, Harayana, West Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal," Singh said.

The Arabian Sea current of the monsoon had become sluggish, which had not moved further from Rajasthan. But Bay of Bengal current was active.

The officials said that south west monsoon had entered east Uttar Pradesh and moderate to heavy rainfall was being recorded in many parts of the country including eastern Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. The monsoon had covered whole of Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and several parts of Maharashtra, west UP and MP.
Rainfall activity was likely to enhance over UP and MP due to Bay of Bengal branch of monsoon in the next 48 hours, they said. Till last week, the country had recorded a 22 per cent deficiency in rainfall.

Bureau Report