Mumbai Wakes Up To Showers; Northeast, South Get Rain: Monsoon Finally Set To Arrive?

Last Updated:June 22, 2026, 12:10 IST

The IMD said that conditions are favourable for the monsoon to advance significantly over Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar around June 23

Heavy rain lashes Nadia on Monday. (PTI)

The Southwest Monsoon is actively gaining momentum across India, bringing widespread relief but presenting a highly split weather pattern — extreme rainfall is pounding Northeast India while pockets of Central India endure severe heatwaves.

After a lengthy two-week delay blamed on atmospheric dry air and El Niño conditions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that conditions are now highly favourable for the monsoon to advance significantly over Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Bihar around June 23.

REGION-WISE WEATHER BREAKDOWN

West India and Mumbai onset

Mumbai and Konkan woke up to heavy, widespread monsoon showers after a prolonged stall.

A Yellow Alert is active for mumbaiThane, Palghar, and Raigad for June 22 and 23. Thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching 30–40 kmph have been predicted.

Rains are desperately needed; local lakes have hit a critical low of 9% water capacity. Rain will intensify over Konkan and Goa into full-scale widespread downpours from June 23 to 27.

Northeast India & East India

Extreme, relentless rain is pounding the region. Mawsynram recorded 53 cm and Cherrapunji recorded 47 cm of rain in just 24 hours. Active landslide, flash flood, and rough sea warnings remain in effect across Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh through June 25.

Thundersqualls with winds of 50–60 kmph are hitting Jharkhand, Odisha, and Bihar. Isolated very heavy rain will lash Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim.

North & Central India

Delhi-NCR is expecting light rain and thunderstorms with strong winds (40–60 kmph) between June 22 and 24, keeping maximum temperatures balanced between 35°C and 39°C.

The official monsoon system is delayed over Delhi and Noida; current showers stem from Western Disturbances, not the monsoon pulse.

Severe heatwaves continue in isolated pockets of Chhattisgarh, East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and East Uttar Pradesh.

South Peninsular India

Active downpours are hitting Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Lakshadweep, and Coastal/Interior Karnataka. Telangana is expecting isolated heavy rain along with thunderstorms and lightning through the week.

THE DELAY

The 2026 Southwest Monsoon across India is facing a significant nationwide slowdown. After arriving in Kerala on June 4, three days later than the standard June 1 mark, the monsoon stream stalled heavily along the western coast. This has triggered a nationwide rainfall deficit of 41% as of late June.

The delay is primarily driven by global El Niño conditions, a weak Somali jet stream, and a lack of active low-pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal.

Mumbai & Maharashtra: Facing a 2-Week Delay

In Mumbai, the monsoon is currently tracking toward its most delayed onset in two decades, drawing direct comparisons to the late arrivals of 2019 and 2023. While the normal monsoon onset date for Mumbai is June 11, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) estimates that widespread, sustained monsoon rains will not fully establish until around June 25. This places Mumbai roughly 14 days behind schedule.

Although Mumbai suburbs witnessed light, isolated pre-monsoon showers around 21 June, the lack of strong, moisture-laden winds from the Arabian Sea has kept the primary system stalled over southern Maharashtra since June 8. This sluggish advance has subjected Mumbai to record-breaking warm and humid nights (holding at an oppressive 30.2°C) and forced civic bodies across Maharashtra to enforce water cuts due to depleting lake levels.

Progress in Other Parts of India

The monsoon’s sluggish movement has split the country into regions with severe dry spells and areas with localized torrential rains:

Delhi & North India: The monsoon onset over the national capital is heavily delayed. Normally expected by late June, weather experts predict that the slow transit through central India will likely push Delhi’s monsoon arrival well into early July.

Central & South-Western India: States like Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and inland Maharashtra have seen a prolonged gap in rain cycles. The IMD reports that atmospheric conditions are only expected to turn favorable for advancement into these regions after June 23.

Northeast India & West Bengal: In sharp contrast to the west coast, the eastern arm of the monsoon has been highly active. Intense, heavy to extremely heavy rainfall has lashed North Bengal, Sikkim, and the northeastern states, causing regional rivers like the Teesta to flow close to danger marks.

Meteorologists note that a delayed start or an El Niño shadow does not automatically guarantee a weak season overall, as the monsoon is pulsatory and often makes up for deficits in heavy later phases.

With agency inputs

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Manjiri Joshi

At the news desk for 20 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing speci…Read More

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