Rains lash Delhi amid onset of monsoon

NEW DELHI, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Rains accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning lashed Delhi and its surrounding areas on Saturday night, as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast the onset of monsoon in the national capital over the next two days.

Conditions are favorable for further advancement of southwest monsoon over most parts of Maharashtra state during the next two days, according to the IMD.

It said that rainfall with isolated thunderstorms and lightning is likely over the western Himalayan region, and over the plains of northwest India, except west Rajasthan.

It added that heavy rainfall is likely over the northern hilly state of Uttarakhand on Sunday and over Uttarakhand and its neighboring state of Himachal Pradesh till Wednesday.

The IMD also forecast isolated heavy rainfall over western parts of Uttar Pradesh state, over eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh, over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi till Monday, and over eastern parts of Rajasthan state till Wednesday.