Pre-monsoons spell in several parts, North stifles under heat

New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) Monsoon showers flurried in several parts of the country today even as North India continued to stifle under rising temperature and humidity.

Mumbai and its suburbs witnessed pre-monsoon showers last night and early this morning, relieving Mumbaikars of the sweltering summer heat.

The South West Monsoon has been vigorous in coastal Karnataka and active in Kerala. The Kerala government today announced a relief of Rs six crore for monsoon related incidents throughout the state due to soil erosion and floods.

With unprecedented torrential rains lashing Karnataka, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today directed the district officials to act swiftly in taking up relief measures during calamities without waiting for Government instructions.

The Mahe region of Pondicherry, adjoining Kerala, was severly hit by the southwest monsoon. 42 houses were damaged in the incessant rain which was accompanied by strong winds.

Conditions are favourable for further advancement of the South West Monsoon over remaining parts of north interior Karnataka, some more parts of Konkan and Goa and some parts of south Madhya Maharashtra during the next 48 hours.

The spectre of possible floods looms large on the Northeast region with the onset of early monsoons as weathermen predicted heavy rainfall this time.

Rain or thundershowers have occurred at most places in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and at many places in Madhya Maharashtra, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and at isolated places in Marathwada and Tamil Nadu.

A decrease in the influence of the South Easterlies, coupled with a rise in humidity levels, led to extreme sultry conditions in the capital today.

The decreased influence of South-Easterly winds led to a rise in temperature to 41.1 degree C, from 39 degree C yesterday. The minimum temperature too rose to 26.8 degree C, from 25 degree C yesterday with humidity level rising to 77 per cent.

Scorching heat prevailed in the plains in most parts of northwest India as the mercury kept its upward movement in Chandigarh and its adjoining areas in Punjab and Haryana.

In West Bengal, one person died of sun stroke in Purulia district as it recorded 44.7 degrees Celsius today, the highest recorded so far.

Heat wave conditions prevailed in Rajasthan, and in some parts of west Madhya Pradesh. In the regions where the South West Monsoon is yet to set in, day temperatures were appreciably above normal in some parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Saurashtra and Kutch and were above normal in some parts of Gujarat. They were appreciably below normal in interior Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Chattisgarh and in some parts of north interior Karnataka. They were below normal in Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha.

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