Chandigarh, July 6 (IANS) June may be considered as one of the hottest months in north India but Chandigarh residents have seen that myth being watered down - literally. With 376.4 mm rainfall this year during the month, Chandigarh experienced the highest recorded June rainfall in the last 20 years - breaking the previous record of 256.6mm in 1988.

The city recorded 179.6 mm rainfall June 30, while the previous highest rainfall on a single day was 196.5 mm in June 1988.

“So far, 2008 has been a year of surprises for us. Firstly, monsoon knocked the doors well before time and then we received a bumper rainfall in June,” Surender Paul, director of meteorological centre, Chandigarh, told IANS.

“This is primarily due to global warming and man’s undue interference in natural cycles,” he said.

Normally, the monsoon touches the city towards end of June or early July. But this year, it hit Chandigarh June 14. In 2006 and 2007, the monsoon arrived in Chandigarh June 30 and June 26 respectively.

The meteorological department here has forecast heavy rainfall in coming weeks.

“Till June, we had heavy rainfall in patches and for the next 4-5 days monsoon will remain a bit subdued. But after July 6 we will have more organised and long spells of heavy rain in the region,” Paul pointed out.

Heavy rainfall has brought its own pros and cons as Paul stated that there was rise in ground water level and rain was also good for paddy crops. But at some places in Haryana some crops have started decaying due to increased moisture in the soil.

These early and heavy showers have also relieved the Chandigarh masses from sweltering hot winds that normally flow across the northern plains in June.

“Every year in the month of June, we go to some hill station to avoid the scorching summers. But this year we invited our relatives rather than going out as weather was fairly pleasant in June,” said Mayank Uppal, a businessman based in Chandigarh.

But the heavy showers would not herald early winter as Met department officials said early and heady rains have come only because southwest winds from the Indian Ocean have encountered fewer obstructions in their meandering path this year, and this will not affect the normal cycle of seasons.