For the first time in 108 years, monsoon has hit the Capital this early. But though its onset has been premature, the rainfall has been very good this year and well distributed. Between June 1 and June 15, the overall rainfall across India has been 44% above normal. And in the northwestern zone, which includes Delhi, the overall rainfall has been 194% above normal during the same period.

With the onset of monsoon in northern Madhya Pradesh, heavy rains lashed Gwalior division and other parts of the state. Although monsoon arrived in the state on time, good rainfall has so far been elusive with most parts receiving light rainfall. A regional meteorological department spokesperson said an upper air cycer built over northwestern Madhya Pradesh was causing rainfall. A cycer built over the Bay of Bengal was developing into a low pressure area following which good rainfall was expected.

In Bihar's flood-prone villages, a cycle of misery is perpetuated - report by Bharat Dogra In a month's time the monsoon will arrive. And I am reminded of my visit to East Champaran district of Bihar four months after last year's "exceptionally destructive" floods. As person after person narrated his/her misery to me, it was clear that the government's relief was inadequate and acute distress did not recede with the flood waters; it lingered for months in the form of gnawing hunger, disease and deprivation. In fact, it is a cycle of misery that repeats year after year.

Residents blame district administration for laxity in preparing for the monsoon

Labour pangs for farmers seem to be far from over. First it was the overall shortage of manual labour and now early rains are becoming a cause of worry for farmers. An early monsoon is good news for farmers, but the need to transplant paddy as soon as possible has only hiked labour expenses. A rough estimate says in the last couple of days alone, the labour expenses have gone up by 30 per cent. Beginning June 10, about 20 per cent of paddy cultivation in Punjab has been completed, says government data.

Ballygunge Circular Road. Pictures by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya and Talat Salahuddin Ballygunge Circular Road, that winds its way from Ballygunge Phari in the south and meets Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Road in the north, is a tree-lined avenue with a lot of surrounding greenery. The sprawling Ballygunge Maidan Camp and the Ballygunge Science College campus are the dominant green zones here. A part of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation's (CMC) ward No. 69, this is primarily a residential area populated by a cosmopolitan crowd and of course the most elusive Calcuttan

Waterlogging woes in some pockets of Calcutta will be as bad as last year, or even worse. In the rest of the city, the mayor hopes, the problem will persist with "much less' severity. The pockets that are feared to be worst hit include Thanthania, Madan Mohan Burman Street, Chittaranjan Avenue and Camac Street-Wood Street in Calcutta proper and Behala in the added areas.

For the first time in 108 years, the monsoon has arrived in Delhi this early. Continuing its swift onward march, it covered Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab and some more parts of Rajasthan and Haryana today. So does this premature onset hold some indications for the rest of the monsoon season? 25 die in Itanagar landslides, thousands stranded in AssamMonsoon misses Kerala date but it's

Countdown for the arrival of monsoon in the state has begun. According to Met experts, rain is likely to be better this year in comparison to previous year. Requirement on several level is must seeing the monsoon. Villages and cities have their own problems. This is the time when Kharif, specially sowing of soyabean is started. It is necessary that the farmers may not face crisis of seed and fertilizer. The farmers had to face crisis in this connection last year. Problem of qualitative seeds was prevailing in several areas. So complete preparation for kharif crop should be made.

Tourists brave heavy downpour as monsoon arrives in Delhi on Sunday. NEW DELHI: It's official. The monsoon has hit the Capital and that too a fortnight ahead of its scheduled normal date of June 29, breaking a 108-year-old record. Delhiites woke up to cloudy weather on Sunday morning and soon the skies opened up lashing the city with heavy rain. Sardarjung recorded 30.3 mm of rainfall between 8-30 a.m. and 5-30 p.m., while Palam received 23.8 mm of rain. The maximum temperature stood at 28.8 degrees Celsius, while the minimum was 26 degrees.