Monsoon advances into parts of Maharashtra
Last year, state saw its earliest monsoon arrival in 35 years on May 25
This year's monsoon onset over these regions is early by at least six days compared to normal. Two days after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced the onset of monsoon in Kerala, southwest monsoon winds advanced into parts of Maharashtra on Saturday.
According to the weather bureau, conditions are favourable for advancement of southwest monsoon into other parts of Maharashtra alongside Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu over the next two-three days.
“The southwest monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of west central and east central Arabian Sea and Karnataka, entire Goa, some parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, most parts of Tamil Nadu and southwest Bay of Bengal, some more parts of west central & northeast Bay of Bengal, entire east central Bay of Bengal and some parts of northwest Bay of Bengal, Mizoram and Manipur today,” the IMD said in a statement.
Typically, the southwest monsoon progresses into Maharashtra by June 5 — nearly five days after arriving in Kerala. According to records, the average date of monsoon onset in Kerala is June 1 while the date for Maharashtra is June 5.
This year, onset in Kerala was announced after a three-day delay from the normal date on June 4.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Bikram Singh, director of IMD Mumbai, said, “The advancement of monsoon has been faster as we are witnessing favourable conditions. Currently, the southwest winds are strong which has increased moisture level. This has led to continuous clouding and intense rain is being reported across many stations. There is a circulation over Kerala and parts of Karnataka, westerly winds and good distribution of rain which is consistent with favourable conditions for advancement of monsoon.”
Last year, the state had witnessed its earliest monsoon arrival in 35 years as monsoon ushered into Maharashtra on May 25.
While the southwest monsoon advanced in Maharashtra, IMD scientists maintained that onset in Mumbai is yet to happen. “Until now, the southwest monsoon has progressed into parts of southern Maharashtra. We will be monitoring the situation to observe the advancement in Mumbai,” Singh added.
In Mumbai, the official date of monsoon onset is June 11. However, the timeline of onset varies every year on the basis of the prevalent weather conditions. In 2025, southwest monsoon advanced in Mumbai within a day after it advanced into Maharashtra with the city experiencing its earliest monsoon onset in 75 years on May 26.
While IMD has yet to declare monsoon onset, pockets of Mumbai on Saturday morning experienced light drizzle. As per records from the city’s automatic weather stations, the western suburbs received an average of 0.16 mm rain, while the island city division recorded 0.13 mm. With the city awaiting the onset of monsoon, the IMD has forecast the likelihood of light to moderate showers over the next four days in Mumbai and its neighbouring districts.
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