When will monsoon reach Delhi? Will the national capital see waterlogging?

WEATHER experts say the southwest monsoon is likely to arrive late in the national capital this year, with its onset potentially delayed until early July instead of the usual June 27.

They also clarified that the recent spells of rain and thunderstorms in Delhi, as well as those forecast over the coming days, are not associated with the monsoon. Rather, they are reportedly the result of Western disturbances affecting the region.

The delay has been attributed to the sluggish progress of the monsoon system, which has yet to cover several parts of the country, including Mumbai, where it normally reaches by June 8.

According to Hindustan Times, Mahesh Palawat, vice president of Skymet Weather, stated, “For the monsoon to progress, there should be a weather system developing over the Bay of Bengal to pull the monsoon from the Arabian Sea. This push-and-pull system is almost absent this year, which means there is no triggering mechanism for the monsoon."

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) mentioned the southwest monsoon had not yet advanced into central India and that its arrival in Mumbai was also running behind schedule. The weather office's director general, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, indicated that while the monsoon had already covered southern India and parts of southern Maharashtra, it was expected to progress further into Maharashtra and neighbouring states such as Rajasthan and Gujarat around June 23.

According to IMD data, the monsoon trough on Saturday extended through Harnai, Solapur, Hyderabad, Bhadrachalam, Koraput, Phulbani, Ranchi, Jamui and Muzaffarpur.

Amateur meteorologist Navdeep Dahiya indicated that Delhi could witness a more pronounced delay in the arrival of the monsoon this year.

“It takes at least 10 to 15 days for the monsoon to move from central India to north India. According to our current analysis, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and the surrounding areas will get covered by the end of June; July 6 to July 10 is the ideal time for the monsoon to reach Delhi,” he stated, the report noted.

Dahiya added that rainfall in June has so far been around 20 to 30 per cent below normal levels. He also suggested that the monsoon's onset in Delhi is likely to be relatively weak, although the situation could change, with stronger rainfall in July potentially compensating for the delayed start.

Weather data show that the city received 22.7 mm of rainfall between June 1 and June 20 this year, compared with 88.01 mm during the same period last year. The IMD's normal rainfall for June stands at 74.1 mm.

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta warns officials over waterlogging preparedness

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday cautioned officials that any lapse in addressing waterlogging issues during the monsoon season would be dealt with seriously.

Chairing a meeting of the apex committee of the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department to assess monsoon and flood preparedness, Gupta directed authorities to designate a nodal officer for each identified waterlogging hotspot across Delhi, with clearly assigned duties and accountability.

"If waterlogging occurs in any area, the concerned officer will be held accountable. All departments should keep their teams on alert and remain prepared to deal with any emergency during the monsoon," Gupta stated, as per PTI.

She also instructed departments to inspect all relief and rescue equipment as per prescribed protocols and ensure that adequate arrangements are in place for the safe evacuation of residents in case of flooding.