Monsoon Arrives in Delhi; Widespread Rain Likely Across Several States Over the Next 2–3 Days

The southwest monsoon finally arrived in the national capital on Thursday, bringing relief from the intense heat after reaching Delhi five days later than its normal onset date.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), as of July 2, 2026, the southwest monsoon has advanced into more parts of Gujarat, the remaining parts of Uttar Pradesh, the whole of Delhi, all of Madhya Pradesh, most parts of Haryana and Punjab, and some parts of Rajasthan.

Light rain early Thursday morning prompted the IMD to officially declare the onset of the monsoon over Delhi. With its arrival, temperatures have dropped significantly, providing much-needed respite from the prolonged spell of hot and humid weather across the National Capital Region (NCR).

The weather department said conditions remain favourable for the southwest monsoon to advance further into the remaining parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan over the next two to three days. Monsoon activity is also expected to intensify across most parts of northwest India.

Heavy rainfall recorded across several states

During the past 24 hours, extremely heavy rainfall (21 cm or more) was recorded over the Konkan region, including Mumbai. Very heavy rainfall (12-20 cm) occurred at isolated places in eastern Uttar Pradesh, eastern Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Maharashtra and Odisha.

Heavy rainfall (7-11 cm) was also recorded in Gangetic West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, western Madhya Pradesh, and Saurashtra & Kutch.

Low-pressure area to keep monsoon active

The IMD said a low-pressure area persists over the northwest Bay of Bengal adjoining the north Odisha coast. Under its influence, monsoon conditions are expected to remain active over central India during the next five to six days, resulting in widespread rainfall across several states.

Rainfall deficit narrows to 33%

Widespread rainfall across many parts of the country has helped reduce India's cumulative seasonal rainfall deficit. Between June 1 and July 2, the rainfall deficiency has narrowed to 33 per cent below normal, compared with 40 per cent below normal at the end of June.

If widespread rainfall continues over the next one to two weeks, the rainfall shortfall accumulated during June is expected to reduce substantially.

IMD rainfall forecast

The weather department has forecast widespread rainfall across several regions between July 2 and July 8, including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Saurashtra & Kutch, Konkan & Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and the northeastern states.

Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is also likely over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Punjab on July 2 and again from July 5 to July 8. Similar conditions are expected over western Uttar Pradesh on July 2 and July 5-7, eastern Uttar Pradesh on July 5-7, and eastern Rajasthan during July 4-8.

The IMD has also forecast very heavy rainfall at isolated places over south Gujarat and Konkan during July 2-5, Saurashtra & Kutch during July 2-4, western Madhya Pradesh and Odisha on July 3 and 4, and Madhya Maharashtra during July 3-5.

The weather department has advised residents in heavy rainfall-prone areas to remain alert, warning of possible waterlogging, localized flooding, traffic disruptions and rising water levels in rivers and streams. State administrations have also been asked to take necessary precautionary measures.