New Delhi:
Reeling under simmering heat and high humidity, North India got some reason to cheer on Tuesday as the eagerly-awaited monsoon advanced further to hit Goa two days ahead of its schedule.
"The South-West monsoon had reached Kerala on June 1 and it took three days to hit Goa," IMD (Goa) Director K V Singh said.
In the national capital, hot and sultry weather continued as the maximum temperature settled at 41.7 degrees Celsius.
Uttar Pradesh continued to witness light to moderate rains in some parts and the day temperatures remained below normal at various places across the state. Day temperatures remained below normal at various places including Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Faizabad, Kanpur, Agra, Allahabad and Jhansi divisions.
Faizabad received the maximum of 12 cm of rainfall, followed by Uttraula 7 cm and Basti 4 cm, MeT officials said. Rajasthan, however, continued to reel under high temperatures. Churu remained the hottest place in the state with a maximum of 47.4 degrees Celsius, followed by Bikaner at 46.5 degrees.
Heat wave also swept Barmer, Jodhpur, Sriganganagar, Ajmer, Kota and Jaipur, which registered maximum temperatures of 46, 45.1, 44.8, 44.6, 44.1 and 43.9 degrees Celsius, MeT office said.
Scattered rains were reported from some places, with Pilani and Dabok recording 13.2 and 5 mm of showers.
After a brief lull, the heat wave marked a return in Punjab and Haryana as the mercury went above the normal at various places. Narnaul in Haryana was the hottest place in the region with a maximum of 44.6 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal.
While Chandigarh recorded a maximum temperature of 40.5 degrees Celsius, Amritsar was the hottest place in Punjab at 43.4 degrees Celsius.