When will Monsoon reach Delhi in 2026? Will the capital get flooded? Here’s what we know | Today’s news
Meteorologists on Saturday said the southwest monsoon is likely to reach the national capital late this year, with its onset possibly delayed until early July instead of the usual June 27. They also clarified that the recent spells of rain and thunderstorms in Delhi, as well as those predicted for the coming days, are not monsoon-related. Rather, they are said to be the result of Western unrest affecting the region.
The delay was attributed to the slow progress of the monsoon system, which has yet to cover several parts of the country, including Mumbai, where it normally reaches by June 8.
According to the Hindustan Times, Mahesh Palawat, vice president of Skymet Weather, said: “For the monsoon to advance, a weather system would have to develop over the Bay of Bengal to pull the monsoon out of the Arabian Sea. This push and pull system is almost absent this year, meaning there is no trigger mechanism for the monsoon.”
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the southwest monsoon has not yet advanced into central India and its arrival in Mumbai is also getting delayed. Meteorological office director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said while the monsoon has already covered south India and parts of south Maharashtra, it is expected to move further into Maharashtra and neighboring states like Rajasthan and Gujarat around June 23.
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According to IMD data, the monsoon trough spread over Harnai, Solapur, Hyderabad, Bhadrachalam, Koraput, Phulbani, Ranchi, Jamui and Muzaffarpur on Saturday.
Amateur meteorologist Navdeep Dahiya suggested that Delhi could witness a more significant delay in the arrival of the monsoon this year.
“It takes at least 10 to 15 days for the monsoon to move from central India to north India. As per our current analysis, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and surrounding areas will be covered by the end of June; July 6 to July 10 is the ideal time for the monsoon to reach Delhi,” he said in a report.
Read also | The IMD says the monsoon is expected to advance over key central and eastern states by June 23
Dahiya added that rainfall in June has so far been about 20 to 30 percent below normal. He also indicated that the onset of monsoon in Delhi is likely to be relatively weak, although the situation may change, heavier rainfall in July could compensate for the delayed start.
Weather data shows that the city received 22.7 mm of rainfall between June 1 and June 20 this year, compared to 88.01 mm in the same period last year. IMD normal rainfall for June is 74.1 mm.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta warns officials against waterlogged preparedness
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday warned officials that any lapse in dealing with waterlogging during the monsoon season would be dealt with seriously.
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Gupta chaired a meeting of the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department’s apex committee to assess monsoon and flood preparedness and directed authorities to appoint a nodal officer with clearly assigned duties and responsibilities for each identified waterlogging hotspot in Delhi.
“If waterlogging occurs in any area, the concerned officer will be held accountable. All departments should keep their teams on alert and remain ready to deal with any emergency during monsoon,” Gupta was quoted as saying by PTI.
It also instructed the department to check all relief and rescue equipment as per the prescribed protocols and ensure that adequate measures are put in place for the safe evacuation of residents in case of flooding.
