Residents in India’s Punjab are rejoicing over the much-awaited rainfall that just hit the region, following a heat wave that lingered for months. Here's more on the story.

Monsoon showers finally hit India’s state of Punjab on Monday, bringing much relief to the people from the scorching heat.

[Y. M. Sharma, Chandigarh Resident]: (gender male, Hindi)
"We also hope that more rain will come and give relief to everyone."

[Praful, Chandigarh Resident]: (gender msle, English)
"I am feeling really good. After such a scorching heat we had a nice rain. So it is a very nice feeling."

Heavy rains are expected to continue over the next 24 hours.

[Surinder Paul, Director, Meteorological Observatory, Chandigarh]: (Hindi) male
"The monsoons have arrived in Punjab and Haryana, it has covered the entire area including Himachal and J and K (Jammu and Kashmir); and this is monsoon rain. These rains are quite good for agriculture, including paddy fields. Since paddy fields need a lot of water, state departments can now save a lot of power. So it's quite beneficial.”

The monsoon, crucial to India's crops, is running four to five days behind schedule and has yet to reach half of its territory, though rains are expected by the weekend.