NEW DELHI - At least 15 people died after heavy rains lashed Uttar Pradesh, parts of Rajasthan and Jharkhand as a delayed Southwest Monsoon advanced to these states on Monday.

While in Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh the pre-monsoon showers brought down the mercury, bringing a sigh of relief to people across the States.

In Uttar Pradesh, which received heavy rains for the second consecutive day, lightning claimed seven lives. Two persons were killed in Maharajganj, three died in Sonbhadra and one each in Ballia and Gorakhpur districts.

UP’s Gorkahpur district witnessed 60 mm rainfall, Basti and Gonda recorded 178.4 mm and 33 mm rainfall respectively, Meteorological Department said.

Temperature dropped below 40 degree Celsius at a number of places. In Lucknow the maximum temperature was 32.2 degree Celsius, five notches below normal.

In Jharkhand, heavy rains lashed several parts of Jharkhand, ending a long dry spell. However, at least eight persons were killed and a dozen others injured in lightning strikes in Garwah, Giridih and Palamau districts.

In Rajashtan, where the Southwest Monsoon delayed by 10 days, the Southwest Monsoon reached eastern parts of Rajasthan with parts of Ajmer, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Jaipur, Sawaimadhopur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Udaipur and Kota districts receiving light to moderate rains.

Bringing a major relief and a sense of delight to people reeling under intense heat, the Southwest Monsoon on Monday covered entire Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhatisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand and many parts of east Uttar Pradesh.

Aided by the low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, monsoon has covered entire Central India and some parts of Rajasthan and West Uttar Pradesh, India Meteorological Department Director B P Yadav told media.

“Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon over some more parts of Rajasthan, remaining parts of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and some parts of east Rajasthan and west UP in the next two days,” Yadav said. (ANI)