The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday said the southwest monsoon has further advanced into more parts of the country, covering some more areas of Gujarat, the remaining parts of Uttar Pradesh, the entire Delhi, most parts of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, and some parts of Rajasthan.

According to the IMD, the Northern Limit of Monsoon (NLM) currently passes through 22°N/60°E, 22°N/65°E, Porbandar, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Neemuch, Tonk, Bhiwani, Bhatinda and 32.5°N/70°E as of July 2.

The weather department said conditions remain favourable for the further advance of the southwest monsoon into some more parts of the North Arabian Sea and Gujarat, the remaining parts of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, and additional parts of Rajasthan over the next two to three days.

The IMD also said that the monsoon has arrived over Delhi on Thursday, compared with its onset date of 27th June.

Earlier in the day, Delhi and Mumbai witnessed heavy rainfall that lashed the cities since early morning, disrupting traffic and affecting normal life.

In Mumbai, train services on Mumbai’s Central Railway network were also running behind schedule on Thursday morning due to reduced visibility caused by heavy rainfall, railway officials said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also issued a nowcast red alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts, forecasting moderate to intense spells of rain at isolated places for three hours till 10:45 am.

The weather department advised people to avoid weak structures and low-lying and waterlogging-prone areas; stay away from trees and electric poles; and remain updated with the latest weather information.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday also warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall across Mumbai and its suburbs, with the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall during the night and into Friday morning.

According to the civic body, occasional gusty winds with speeds of 50-60 kmph are also likely over the city.