Monsoon Advances Into Four More States; Heavy Rain Alert for South Konkan, Maharashtra

Pune, 7th June 2026: The southwest monsoon continued its advance across India on Sunday, reaching Tripura, Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, while making limited progress in Maharashtra up to the South Konkan region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts until June 9.

Despite the monsoon’s gradual expansion, weather experts expect rainfall activity across Maharashtra to remain relatively weak over the coming week.

According to the IMD, widespread monsoon rains are currently affecting Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and several districts of Tamil Nadu. However, even as rainfall intensified in many southern states, Chennai recorded temperatures above 40°C for the fifth consecutive day.

Pre-monsoon showers have been reported across almost the entire country, with Gujarat remaining the notable exception. Several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the northeastern region, witnessed thunderstorms and rainfall over the weekend.

In Madhya Pradesh, wind speeds of up to 50 kmph were recorded in districts including Bhopal. Rajasthan’s Bikaner experienced heavy rain accompanied by hailstorms, while parts of Uttar Pradesh, including Mau and Ghazipur, also received rainfall.

Monsoon Gains Momentum
After arriving three days later than usual, the southwest monsoon has accelerated significantly, covering seven states within four days.

On Saturday, the monsoon entered Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram and Manipur. Earlier, it had advanced into Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Goa on June 6, after making landfall in Kerala on June 4.

The IMD expects the monsoon to cover the remaining northeastern states and parts of West Bengal over the next three days. Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha are likely to receive monsoon rains within the next 10 days.

According to weather expert G.P. Sharma of Skymet Weather, the monsoon’s progress over Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal may temporarily slow due to the absence of a strong weather system over the Bay of Bengal that would typically help propel its advance.

Heavy Rain and Thunderstorm Alerts
For June 8, the IMD has forecast:
• Heavy to very heavy rainfall over Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
• Thunderstorms and rain over Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Sikkim.
• Thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds over Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

For June 9, rainfall activity is expected to continue over Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep and Andhra Pradesh.
Thunderstorms and rainfall are also likely over western Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand. Rajasthan may experience strong winds ranging between 30 and 50 kmph in several districts.

Heatwave Persists in Parts of India
While pre-monsoon showers have brought relief to several regions, heatwave conditions continue in parts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The IMD has issued an orange alert for both states, warning that hot conditions may persist even during nighttime hours.

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of around 40°C on Saturday. Cloudy skies and light rainfall are expected on Sunday, which could bring temperatures down to approximately 36°C.

El Niño Signals Emerge
Meanwhile, global weather agencies are closely monitoring signs of a developing El Niño event in the Pacific Ocean.

According to the European weather agency, sea surface temperatures in the Pacific have risen above the threshold generally associated with the onset of El Niño conditions. Scientists estimate that ocean temperatures could rise by as much as 3°C above normal by December.

Meteorologists warn that this year’s El Niño could potentially be stronger than the significant events recorded in 1997-98 and 2015-16. Some climate projections indicate temperature anomalies approaching 4°C, raising concerns about increased global temperatures and weather extremes.

Regional Outlook
Several states continue to remain under weather alerts:
• Rajasthan has issued thunderstorm and rainfall alerts for multiple districts after hailstorms and heavy rain were reported in Bikaner and Tonk.
• Madhya Pradesh is expected to receive continued thunderstorm activity over the next four days, with monsoon arrival anticipated before June 20.
• Uttar Pradesh may experience heatwave conditions from June 9 despite earlier rainfall activity.
• Chhattisgarh is likely to receive monsoon rains within the next four to five days.
• Bihar remains under a yellow alert for rain and thunderstorms until June 9.
• Jharkhand has issued yellow alerts across several districts due to expected thunderstorms and strong winds.
• Punjab remains largely dry but is expected to experience rising temperatures and possible heatwave conditions through mid-June.

As the southwest monsoon steadily advances across the country, weather agencies continue to monitor rainfall patterns, heatwave conditions and the emerging El Niño phenomenon, all of which are expected to influence India’s weather over the coming months.