NEW DELHI: The long wait for the monsoon seems to be coming to an end for the people of Delhi. The India Meteorological Department on Monday forecast that the system could hit the Capital in about three days.

"Conditions are becoming ripe for the monsoon to reach Delhi and other parts of the northern plains. It should arrive over the city by July 6, give or take a day. As per current indications, the rains could stay on for about two to three days," a senior official told The Hindu .

Meanwhile, the heavy rain pounding Mumbai and its neighbourhood is likely to continue for the next three days. The forecast was that the rainfall was likely to continue to be heavy to very heavy, with the possibility of an isolated extremely heavy fall. Heavy rainfall is defined as precipitation from 6 cm to 12 cm in a day, very heavy fall from 12 cm to 25 cm in a day and extremely heavy fall beyond 25 cm in a day. After three days also, the rains would continue over the region. The outlook for the rest of the country is good. The deep depression that crossed the Orissa coast on Sunday night is moving in a west-north-westerly direction and consequently the monsoon could arrive over Madhya Pradesh, Marathwada and other parts of Central India over the next two to three days. By July 6, the monsoon could be in full swing over almost all parts of the country, the official said.

To add to the good fortune, there were also signs of a new surge emerging from the south. "If this happens, the current phase of the active monsoon could get additional momentum and continue at least up to the middle of the month," he said.

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