Monsoon arrives in Mumbai after nearly 2-week delay

3 min readMumbaiJun 23, 2026 01:17 PM IST

This is the city's most delayed onset in the past three years, with Mumbai previously recording a late monsoon arrival in 2023 on June 25.

(Express File Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee

After a nearly two-week delay beyond its usual date of June 11, the Southwest Monsoon finally arrived in Mumbai Tuesday, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced its advancement into the city and other parts of Maharashtra.

“Southwest monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of the Central Arabian Sea, some more parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, the remaining parts of Telangana and Odisha, some more parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar, today.”

According to scientists, conditions are favourable for the further advancement of the Southwest Monsoon into parts of the North Arabian Sea and Gujarat, as well as Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and parts of Madhya Pradesh over the next 2-3 days.

“Further advancement of the Southwest Monsoon in the remaining parts of Jharkhand and Bihar, as well as parts of Uttar Pradesh, is likely in the subsequent 3-4 days.”

After an early advance of monsoon winds from Kerala to Maharashtra by June 6, the system remained stalled in southern Maharashtra due to a lack of favourable monsoon systems, including offshore troughs, low-pressure areas, and cyclonic circulations in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

“However, favourable conditions for further movement of the Southwest Monsoon have developed over the past 48 hours,” said an IMD scientist.

This is the city’s most delayed onset in the past three years, with Mumbai previously recording a late monsoon arrival in 2023 on June 25.

Morning rain

Story continues below this ad

Before the IMD announcement, light to moderate showers swept the suburbs and the island city division of Mumbai in the morning.

Records from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) automatic weather station show that between 8 am and 9 am, Malvani recorded 32 mm of rainfall, followed by 29 mm in Parel, 25 mm in Worli, and 27 mm in Malad.

In the past 24 hours, the Santacruz observatory recorded 12 mm of rainfall, while Colaba reported 49 mm.

Amid delayed onset and pre-monsoon showers eluding the city, IMD has said there is a deficit of over 300 per cent of the average rainfall for June in Mumbai. While Mumbai typically receives 526 mm of rainfall in June, the Santacruz observatory has only received 46 mm between June 1 and June 23.

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd

Nayonika Bose is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau. While in the early stages of her career, her focused reporting on local governance and community welfare already demonstrates clear Expertise and Trustworthiness in covering essential civic issues impacting Mumbai's residents.

Expertise & Authority (E-E-A-T)

Specialized Focus: Nayonika's reporting is dedicated to civic and community issues, providing readers with highly relevant, ground-level information about the functionality and administration of India's largest metropolitan area.

Core Coverage Areas: Her articles highlight a strong focus on the fundamental quality of life and public safety in Mumbai, including:

Civic Infrastructure: Reports on critical failures and initiatives related to public works, such as the recurring problem of unauthorized building collapses in Navi Mumbai, the construction of new infrastructure projects (like the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road and the Mahalaxmi cable-stayed bridge), and the maintenance of essential city services (e.g., manhole cover theft).

Urban Governance & Crisis Management: Provides detailed coverage of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) response to major crises, particularly during the monsoon (e.g., heavy rainfall, water cuts, and public health concerns like dengue and malaria) and large-scale public safety incidents (e.g., the hoarding collapse fallout).

Community Welfare & Rights: Reports on key social issues, including the financial aid scheme for persons with disabilities, the struggles of Mumbai's hawkers protesting eviction drives, and the dangers faced by workers due to the continuation of manual scavenging in water tanks.

Cultural & Heritage Reporting: Covers significant community stories, including the restoration of British-era fountains and the history of institutions like the 126-year-old Chinchpokli cemetery, showing a breadth of interest beyond pure administration.

Tweets @nayonikakb ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:

IMD Mumbai

monsoon

Mumbai monsoon