Rains in Punjab and Haryana in coming days: MeT

Chandigarh, July 13: The south-west monsoon is likely to pick up pace in Punjab and Haryana bringing good rains to the region in the coming days, a senior MeT department official said here today.

"The monsoon is picking up pace and from today onwards we are expecting rains in Punjab and Haryana. In the subsequent 2-3 days, good rain is likely to occur in the two states and Chandigarh," Director of the Chandigarh's MeT Department, Surinder Paul said.

He said the monsoon trough was now moving towards north which would bring widespread rains.

Asked why the monsoon had turned slow after it hit the two states nearly ten days back, Paul said, "while it is true that Chandigarh has received deficient rains as of today, but Punjab and Haryana are not showing such deficiency as of now even though one can say rains may not have been widespread".

He also dismissed suggestions that Chandigarh MeT Department's rain forecasts during current monsoon season have gone wrong.

"This is not true," he said. However, in the absence of widespread rains so far, hot and humid weather conditions have prevailed in most parts of the two states and Chandigarh in the current month.

The maximum temperature has been settling in the range of 35-37 degrees Celsius at most places.

PTI