NEW DELHI: The long wait for the monsoon seems to be coming to an end to the people of Delhi. The Indian 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 rains 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 a possibility of an isolated extremely heavy fall. After three days also, the rains would continue over the region. But the intensity would come down, he added.

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.

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 upto the middle of the month," he said.

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