Monsoon makes rapid progress across India, arrives in Delhi

Riding on strong easterlies, monsoon made a grand entry today in the national capital even as seasonal rains covered the entire country one month in advance.
South-west monsoon, which kept its June 1 date with Kerala, made rapid progress across the country bringing bountiful showers all along and giving relief to most drought- hit regions.
The monsoon onset in Delhi today was also a fortnight in advance as the normal date for seasonal rains in the capital in June 29.
"Monsoon has reached Delhi today and also covered the entire country," Director, India Meteorological Department, Brahm Prakash Yadav, told PTI.

Monsoon rains, which usually cover the entire country by July 15, has covered two-thirds of the landmass by Friday.
"The southwest monsoon was vigorous over Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha and Kerala, and active over Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana," the weatherman said.

He said rain and thundershowers would occur at most places over west coast, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar islands, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Central, eastern and northwestern India over the next three days.
Releasing an update on the monsoon forecast, the weather office had said the country would receive normal and fairly distributed rain in July and August.

Rainfall is expected to be at 101 per cent of long-term average in July and 96 per cent in August.
For the country as a whole, monsoon has been 43 per cent excess till June 15 since onset over Kerala on June 1.
The strong start to the monsoon boosts prospects of robust farm output which could help the economy and hold down inflation, a critical concern for the UPA as it readies for assembly elections later this year and 2014 Lok Sabha polls.