Delhi, Gurgaon, and Faridabad are currently under a ‘yellow alert’ as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and gusty winds throughout the day. This comes as the region braces for the imminent arrival of the southwest monsoon, which is now expected to hit the national capital and its surrounding areas by June 24th. If this prediction holds true, it would mark the earliest monsoon onset for Delhi since 2013, when the rains arrived on June 16th.
The pre-monsoon showers have already brought some relief from the sweltering heat, with light to moderate rainfall expected to continue over June 24th and 25th. The IMD indicates that conditions are highly favourable for the monsoon to extend further over Delhi, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh, and the rest of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir within the next two days.
Historically, Delhi has seen varying monsoon arrival dates: June 28th in 2023, June 30th in 2022, and as late as July 13th in 2021. The anticipated early arrival this year is attributed to the strong surge of the southwest monsoon across the country, aided by favorable weather systems.
Residents in Delhi-NCR can expect continued wet days, cooler temperatures, and the characteristic weather patterns that accompany the monsoon season. While the rains bring much-needed respite from the heat, authorities are also on alert for potential challenges such as waterlogging and traffic disruptions that often occur with intense downpours. The IMD has also warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall over Northwest India, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and the Konkan & Goa regions through June 26th, with extremely heavy showers likely in Madhya Pradesh on June 23rd and 24th.
This year’s monsoon season began early in Kerala on May 24th, the earliest onset since 2009. After a brief stagnation, the monsoon has regained momentum, now making its rapid advance northward. The IMD has previously forecasted an above-normal rainfall for India as a whole during the June-September monsoon season, which is crucial for the agricultural sector and replenishing water resources across the country.