Monsoon may reach Delhi by June 24, three days ahead of normal date: IMD

The southwest monsoon is likely to arrive in Delhi by June 24, three days ahead of its usual onset date of June 27, as conditions get favorable for its advancement, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

According to the weather department, the maximum and minimum temperature was observed as 34.8 and 26.8 degrees Celsius, respectively.

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“The southwest monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of Bihar and east Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, some parts of west Uttar Pradesh, most parts of Uttarakhand, many parts of Himachal Pradesh, and some parts of Ladakh,” a statement from the weather department.

The IMD stated that conditions are favorable for the further advance of the southwest monsoon over the remaining parts of the North Arabian Sea, Rajasthan, West Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir–Gilgit-Baltistan–Muzaffarabad, and parts of Ladakh within the next two days.

“Conditions are also becoming favorable for further advance of the southwest monsoon over remaining parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi during the subsequent two days,” the Met department added.

Furthermore, as per the data, last year, the onset of monsoon in Delhi was recorded on June 28 and June 25 in 2024.

Meanwhile, a yellow alert remained in place for the day and the weekend, with IMD forecasting rain and thunderstorms.

“Generally cloudy skies will persist throughout the day and for the next few days. Very light to light rain may be recorded towards the evening or night on Friday, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph, even reaching 50 kmph during the thunderstorm,” asserted an official from the Met department.

Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) remained in the satisfactory category for a third consecutive day on Friday and was recorded at 75, which lies under the category of satisfactory, in comparison to the 24-hour average AQI of 89 recorded on Thursday.

Delhi had also recorded its 24-hour average of cleanest air in eight months on Wednesday, with AQI being 81 (satisfactory). This was the lowest since September 29, when the AQI had stood at 76.

With the onset of monsoon on the horizon, Delhi’s AQI is expected to remain in the satisfactory category for the next few days, according to forecasts by the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS).