Pawar happy as heavy rains lash North India

New Delhi: Heavy overnight showers caused massive traffic jams and water logging on Thursday morning in New Delhi.

A cyclonic circulation over Jammu and Kashmir and north Pakistan, has led to heavy rains over Haryana, parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Delhi received 93.2 mm of rainfall between 0830 hrs IST on Wednesday and 0600 hrs IST on Thursday. Rains brought the minimum temperature down to 23.7 C in the National Capital on Thursday morning.

The rains also brought smiles on the face of Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar who said that crops would benefit from heavy showers.

"These rains will be favourable. Most of the sugarcane producing states have received very good rainfall and sunshine. This will improve yield per hectare and because of rains in past three-four weeks there is every possibility that situation will change especially in Karnataka, Maharashtra, UP and Gujarat. The rain will be helpful in plantation in coming months," said Pawar.

Delhi has received a total of 538.6 mm of rain this monsoon against an average of 573 mm.