Monsoon 2026: When will it start in Kerala? Here's IMD's latest prediction on arrival dates for Delhi, other states

THE India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday that the southwest monsoon is expected to reach Kerala on May 26 this year. The weather department noted that the onset date may vary by up to four days on either side.

The IMD also forecast heavy rainfall accompanied by lightning and strong winds in parts of Kerala and Mahe over the next five days.

Kerala weather

According to the department, these weather conditions are likely to be influenced by a cyclonic circulation over south coastal Andhra Pradesh and nearby regions, which could lead to the formation of a low-pressure area over Kerala, south interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema, and the southeast Arabian Sea adjoining south Lakshadweep.

IMD stated the southwest monsoon has further progressed into most parts of the southeast Arabian Sea and parts of the Kanyakumari region.

The monsoon has also advanced over most areas of the southwest and southeast Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Sea, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and parts of the east-central Bay of Bengal, according to the IMD.

As heavy rain continued in several parts of Kerala, the IMD issued an “orange alert” for two districts and a yellow alert for 10 districts on Monday. The “orange alert” was issued for Kannur and Kasaragod, while “yellow alerts" were sounded for all 10 districts except Thrissur and Palakkad, as per PTI, adding that for Tuesday, the weather department issued a “yellow alert” for nine districts across the state.

The IMD defines an “orange alert” as a warning for very heavy rainfall ranging from 11 cm to 20 cm, while a yellow alert indicates heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.

Normal monsoon onset dates

According to IMD, the southwest monsoon normally reaches the Andaman and Nicobar Islands around May 16–17. It typically advances further into parts of the northeastern region, including Mizoram, Tripura, and southern Assam, by May 26. The monsoon usually makes its onset over mainland India through Lakshadweep on June 1. By June 5, it generally covers Karnataka, Goa, parts of Tamil Nadu, and extends into Sikkim and northern West Bengal.

Around June 10, the monsoon typically reaches Maharashtra, including Mumbai, along with Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Bihar.

By June 15, the southwest monsoon generally advances into southern Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Around June 20, it usually covers more parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan, and reaches Uttarakhand, lower regions of Himachal Pradesh, and parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

The monsoon typically arrives in Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, and western Rajasthan by June 25.

By June 30, it generally reaches higher parts of Himachal Pradesh, northern Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The monsoon usually covers the remaining parts of northwestern India, including the far western areas of Rajasthan and the Kutch region of Gujarat, by July 8.

Normal monsoon withdrawal dates

According to the IMD, the southwest monsoon normally begins withdrawing from northwestern India around September 17, starting with parts of western Rajasthan and Punjab.

By September 20, the withdrawal usually extends across Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, and more areas of Punjab and Rajasthan. Around September 25, the monsoon generally retreats from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and parts of Uttar Pradesh.

By September 30, the withdrawal typically covers most of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Around October 5, the monsoon generally retreats from remaining parts of Uttar Pradesh, eastern Madhya Pradesh, and parts of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.

By October 10, withdrawal usually extends over most of Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, and interior parts of Andhra Pradesh. Around October 15, the monsoon normally withdraws from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the remaining parts of the country.