New Delhi, June 29 -- The southwest monsoon continues to play truant in Delhi, prolonging intense heat and humidity across the National Capital Region even as conditions turn increasingly favourable for its advance.

The monsoon has missed its normal onset date over Delhi-NCR of 27 June, with meteorologists attributing the delay to the absence of a strong low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal. The delayed arrival has pushed up daytime temperatures, while warm nights have added to heat stress.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday said conditions are expected to improve in the coming days, with a fresh western disturbance set to affect northwest India from 2 July and the monsoon likely to advance across parts of north I...