The southwest monsoon continues to keep Mumbaikars waiting as the city reels from hot and humid conditions. Despite the monsoon's arrival in Maharashtra on schedule on June 6, it is delayed in Mumbai by five days now. Normally, the monsoon reaches Mumbai around June 11, but this year its advance has slowed considerably.
The data shared by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows that the monsoon remains stalled in the south Konkan region. “Even though the monsoon surge has now weakened, the southwest monsoon had progressed into some parts of Maharashtra earlier this month. This has led to moisture incursion in nearby areas, and there are active westerly winds, owing to which several districts will experience thunderstorms and rain activity. There is also a trough over West Bengal and Jharkhand, which is bringing rain activity to the east coast,” an IMD official told the Indian Express.
As a result, Mumbai may experience light rain or thundershowers towards the afternoon or evening of June 16 as its wait continues. The IMD noted that the monsoon has advanced into parts of south Maharashtra, including Sindhudurg, alongside parts of Ratnagiri and Kolhapur districts. However, after advancing swiftly, the monsoon has now weakened.
On June 16, several districts such as Thane, Raigad, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nashik, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Jalna, Beed, Hingoli, Latur, Dharashiv, among others may get light rain towards the evening, but no significant rainfall is expected this week, as per IMD Mumbai's latest weather forecast.
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Why Is Monsoon Delayed In Mumbai?
The IMD projects that the conditions are favourable for the monsoon to advance into remaining parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand & Bihar, and some parts of Chhattisgarh during next 4-5 days.
So far, the monsoon's progress across central and northern India has slowed significantly due to a large influx of dry air over the country's interior.
Dry westerly winds over north and north-west India continue to block moisture-laden south-easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal. Meteorologists cited that a stronger monsoon advance would require the formation of a low-pressure area over the Bay, but current forecasts suggest no significant system is likely to develop through the rest of June.
In addition, the return of El Nino conditions in the Pacific Ocean and related climatic factors have influenced rainfall patterns, affecting the advancement of the monsoon.
Meteorologists also stated that the monsoon's progress has slowed this year due to western disturbances and large-scale atmospheric changes. While some models indicate weak wind convergence along the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast, conditions remain unfavourable for widespread rainfall.
When Is Monsoon Expected To Reach Mumbai?
The monsoon is projected to intensify across Maharashtra around June 20, bringing widespread rainfall to Mumbai and its surrounding areas, according to weather experts. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) noted that while the region will experience localised showers, thunderstorms, and scattered rain over the coming days, residents will have to wait slightly longer for the onset of continuous, heavy monsoon downpours.
Despite the current slowdown, the IMD remains optimistic about the monsoon's progress. It noted that a key positive factor is the establishment of the seasonal trough extending from west Rajasthan to West Bengal. This trough could help channel moisture-laden winds from the Bay of Bengal into central and north-west India, the report added.
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