Monsoon to keep Mumbai waiting as arrival date shifts. Here's when rain will hit
Forecasters have pushed back Mumbai's monsoon onset to around June 25. The delay has kept the city warm and humid, though seasonal rainfall may still recover.
Mumbai's long wait for the southwest monsoon is set to continue, with forecasters pushing back the expected arrival date once again amid a sluggish advance across western India.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has now revised the monsoon onset over Mumbai by nearly two weeks than the city's normal arrival date of June 11.
Private weather forecaster Skymet has indicated that the delay could stretch even further if current atmospheric conditions persist.
The delayed onset comes as the monsoon has lost momentum after making an early advance into parts of southern and eastern India. Weather experts say the key reason behind the slowdown is the absence of strong moisture-laden winds from the Arabian Sea, which are crucial for carrying the monsoon northward along the Konkan coast.
WHEN WILL MONSOON RAIN HIT MUMBAI?
According to weather models, moisture inflow is expected to strengthen between June 20 and June 21. This increase could help rebuild the monsoon circulation and create favourable conditions for widespread rainfall over Maharashtra, including Mumbai, during the final week of June.
The current arrival, as per the latest forecast, is around June 25
The atmosphere is expected to become more supportive after June 20 as cross-equatorial winds strengthen and moisture transport improves over the Arabian Sea. However, significant rainfall activity is unlikely before then.
For Mumbai residents, the delay is beginning to resemble two recent years when the city had to wait unusually long for the monsoon.
In both 2019 and 2023, the IMD declared the onset over Mumbai on June 25, making them among the latest arrivals in the past decade. This year's projected arrival date now places 2026 in the same category.
The delay has also contributed to persistently warm and humid conditions across the city. Night-time temperatures have remained unusually high, with some stations recording among the warmest June nights on record. The absence of sustained rain has prevented the usual cooling effect that accompanies monsoon clouds and showers.
Despite the late arrival, meteorologists stress that a delayed onset does not necessarily mean a weak monsoon season. Several years with late arrivals have eventually recorded normal or even above-normal rainfall totals.
For now, Mumbai remains stuck in a weather limbo, cloudy skies, rising humidity, and mounting anticipation.
Relief appears to be on the horizon, but residents may need to wait another week before the monsoon finally sweeps across the city and brings the much-awaited rains.
Mumbai's long wait for the southwest monsoon is set to continue, with forecasters pushing back the expected arrival date once again amid a sluggish advance across western India.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has now revised the monsoon onset over Mumbai by nearly two weeks than the city's normal arrival date of June 11.
Private weather forecaster Skymet has indicated that the delay could stretch even further if current atmospheric conditions persist.
The delayed onset comes as the monsoon has lost momentum after making an early advance into parts of southern and eastern India. Weather experts say the key reason behind the slowdown is the absence of strong moisture-laden winds from the Arabian Sea, which are crucial for carrying the monsoon northward along the Konkan coast.
WHEN WILL MONSOON RAIN HIT MUMBAI?
According to weather models, moisture inflow is expected to strengthen between June 20 and June 21. This increase could help rebuild the monsoon circulation and create favourable conditions for widespread rainfall over Maharashtra, including Mumbai, during the final week of June.
The current arrival, as per the latest forecast, is around June 25
The atmosphere is expected to become more supportive after June 20 as cross-equatorial winds strengthen and moisture transport improves over the Arabian Sea. However, significant rainfall activity is unlikely before then.
For Mumbai residents, the delay is beginning to resemble two recent years when the city had to wait unusually long for the monsoon.
In both 2019 and 2023, the IMD declared the onset over Mumbai on June 25, making them among the latest arrivals in the past decade. This year's projected arrival date now places 2026 in the same category.
The delay has also contributed to persistently warm and humid conditions across the city. Night-time temperatures have remained unusually high, with some stations recording among the warmest June nights on record. The absence of sustained rain has prevented the usual cooling effect that accompanies monsoon clouds and showers.
Despite the late arrival, meteorologists stress that a delayed onset does not necessarily mean a weak monsoon season. Several years with late arrivals have eventually recorded normal or even above-normal rainfall totals.
For now, Mumbai remains stuck in a weather limbo, cloudy skies, rising humidity, and mounting anticipation.
Relief appears to be on the horizon, but residents may need to wait another week before the monsoon finally sweeps across the city and brings the much-awaited rains.
