Monsoon May Arrive 3 Days Early In Delhi, First Showers Expected on June 24

Delhi Weather Update: Delhiites are expected to get respite from the scorching heat. The southwest monsoon is expected to reach the national capital by June 24, arriving three days ahead of the usual onset date of June 27, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Friday. 

"Southwest monsoon has further advanced into 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," the IMD said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The Met department also stated that the monsoon is likely to spread over more regions in the coming days. 

“Conditions are favourable for further advancement over remaining parts of North Arabian Sea, Rajasthan, West Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir–Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, and parts of Ladakh during the next two days,” the IMD added.

Additionally, the monsoon may advance into Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi shortly after that. Last year, the monsoon arrived in Delhi on June 28, and on June 25 in 2022.

Yellow Alert Issued, Rain and Thunderstorms Forecast

Meanwhile, a yellow alert has been issued for the day and the weekend, with cloudy skies, thunderstorms and light to moderate rainfall predicted.

“Very light to light rain may occur towards the evening or night on Friday, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph, potentially reaching up to 50 kmph,” an IMD official said.

Delhi’s Air Quality Remains ‘Satisfactory’

Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) remained in the satisfactory category for the third straight day. At 3 p.m. on Friday, the AQI stood at 76, slightly improved from Thursday’s 24-hour average of 89.

Notably, Delhi recorded its cleanest air in eight months on Wednesday with an AQI of 81, the best since September 29, 2023, when it had touched 76.