Chandigarh: The arrival of southwest monsoon in Punjab, most parts of Haryana and Chandigarh may have got a bit delayed but conditions are favourable that it would pick up in a couple of days, a senior Met department official said today.

Chandigarh: The arrival of southwest monsoon in Punjab, most parts of Haryana and Chandigarh may have got a bit delayed but conditions are favourable that it would pick up in a couple of days, a senior Met department official said today.

The monsoon was expected to arrive in the two states including Chandigarh by June 30, but it went into a weak phase in this region as a result of which its arrival got slightly delayed, Director of the Chandigarh MeT Department, Surinder Pal said. "There has been a slight delay in its arrival in Punjab, most parts of Haryana and Chandigarh.

However, over the next 2-3 days, we are expecting the monsoon to revive. Conditions are getting favourable for its further advancement into remaining parts of Haryana and Punjab including the Union Territory," Pal told PTI. On July 2 this year, the monsoon had entered some parts of Haryana falling in the National Capital Region, but turned weak thereafter halting its further advancement into the region.

Sultry weather conditions have prevailed at most places in the two states including Chandigarh during the current month in the absence of any significant rainfall activity. Last year, the monsoon had entered the two states on July 2. Punjab and Haryana, the grain bowl states of the country, had received scanty monsoon rains during last two years. PTI