India, May 30 -- With the monsoon's arrival just around the corner, several states on Friday saw maximum temperatures dip below the 40-degree Celsius mark and braced for a wet spell, even as the IMD indicated a below-normal southwest monsoon rainfall over India in the upcoming season.

The national capital wore a cover of clouds as it recorded a sharp fall in temperatures, with the lowest maximum registered over the past 21 days. The weather forecast for several northern states, including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, pointed to likelihood of rain and thunderstorms. Intense heat refused to ebb in Rajasthan, with mercury settling in the mid-forties.

However, the weather department said thunderstorm and ...