New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday officially declared the arrival of the southwest monsoon across the entire country, marking a significant advancement of the seasonal rainfall system. The monsoon completed its national coverage on June 29 — nine days earlier than the average date of July 8.
Light to moderate rainfall was recorded in several parts of Rajasthan, western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and the National Capital Region, leading to the IMD’s announcement. A yellow alert was issued for Delhi, where light to moderate rain is expected to persist, although Sunday’s showers were largely confined to southern, eastern, and southwestern parts of the city. Delhi’s main weather station at Safdarjung registered only trace rainfall during the day.
The weather department noted that the monsoon’s onset in Delhi was slightly delayed, arriving two days later than the usual June 27 date. Despite the local delay, the monsoon’s overall progress has been swift this year.
"The southwest monsoon has advanced into the remaining parts of Rajasthan, West Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and all of Delhi today, thereby covering the entire country by June 29," the IMD said in its official bulletin.
This marks the earliest full coverage of the monsoon since 2020, when it enveloped the country by June 26. Similar early onsets were also recorded in 2015 and 2013.
The monsoon had made an early start this year, reaching Kerala on May 24 and Mumbai on May 26—well ahead of the usual onset dates of June 1 and June 11, respectively. However, its progress stalled briefly in early June, before resuming on June 12.
The IMD faced criticism over repeated revisions in its forecasts for Delhi’s monsoon onset. Initially predicting arrival by June 24, the department continued to revise its estimates daily, finally noting on June 26 that conditions were favourable for full national coverage within a few days, without specifying Delhi’s date.
On Saturday, sporadic but intense showers were reported across parts of western Uttar Pradesh, including Noida and Ghaziabad. Gurugram experienced rain in the afternoon, while Delhi’s showers were limited in coverage and intensity.
Despite a few hiccups in forecasting, this year’s monsoon has progressed ahead of time in most regions, providing much-needed relief from summer heat and raising hopes for improved agricultural prospects.
