Monsoon likely to reach Capital by July 10, says IMD

New Delhi: The Southwest Monsoon will reach Delhi around July 10 this year, the India Meteorological Department said on Monday, adding it will be the most-delayed monsoon in the Capital in the last 15 years.

"The monsoon is likely to advance over remaining parts of west Uttar Pradesh, some more parts of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan and Delhi around July 10," the IMD said in a statement.

The weather system is very likely to increase rainfall activity over northwest and central India from July 10, it said.

According to Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD's regional forecasting centre, the monsoon had reached the capital on July 7 in 2012 and July 9 in 2006.

In 2002, Delhi received its first monsoonal showers on July 19. The city had recorded the most-delayed monsoon arrival on July 26 in 1987, he said.

Meanwhile, the maximum temperature in the national Capital settled at 39.5 degrees Celsius on Monday, the India Meteorological Department said.

It said thunderstorm with light to moderate rains would occur in northwest, north, south, and southwest Delhi in the next two hours.

The relative humidity was recorded at 40 per cent at 5.30 pm.

The minimum temperature in the city settled at 28 degrees Celsius, it said.

The city is expected to witness a partly cloudy sky on Tuesday with minimum and maximum temperature settling at around 29 and 41 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Delhi's air quality was in the moderate category on Monday morning.