South-west monsoon struck Himachal: IMD

Shimla: South-west monsoon has struck most parts of Himachal Pradesh since yesterday, India Meteorological Department official told.
Meteorological Centre, Shimla Director Manmohan Singh today said SW monsoon has been advanced into this hill state which was active in Sirmour, Shimla, Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti, Kullu, Mandi and some parts of Chamba district in addition to some more parts of Arabian Sea, Gujarat State, East Rajasthan Uttarakhand and entire Jammu and Kashmir.
The northern limits of monsoon (NLM) passes through 22 degrees North and 60 degrees East, Porbandar, Ahmadabad, Udaipur, Ajmer, Jaipur, Dholpur, Shahjahanpur, Dehradun, Shimla and Jammu.
Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon over Himachal Pradesh and some more parts of west Uttar Pradesh and remaining parts of Uttarakhand during next two days.
Monsoon arrival is in time in the state as last year it had entered the state on July 5, 2010 while it was 15 per cent excess. The pre-monsoon showers is already brought 67 per cent more rainfall as compared to normal in the month of June as Shimla city has been recorded 105 mm rain in this month.
Met office said that low pressure area over southwest Uttar Pradesh and adjoining northwest Madhya Pradesh has merged with the seasonal trough. However, an upper air cyclonic circulation lies over southwest Uttar Pradesh and adjoining north Madhya Pradesh and extends upto mid-tropospheric levels. The upper air cyclonic circulation over northwest Rajasthan and neighbourhood in lower levels persists.
Mr Singh said monsoon showers to be fully active in the state in next two days which would bring rainfall. While due to low pressure area and with the effect of these SW monsoon systems, rain/thundershower would likely to occur at many places in Himachal Pradesh during next four days.
He said monsoon would advance to Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand first than it would become active over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and New Delhi.