The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has announced that the monsoon has covered the entire country as of June 29, 2025. This is significantly ahead of the normal date of July 8. The early arrival of the monsoon is expected to benefit India's economy and agriculture by providing essential rainfall for crops.
The southwest monsoon's progress this year has been notable. It reached Kerala on May 24, marking its earliest onset over the Indian mainland since 2009. Strong low-pressure systems over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal aided the monsoon's rapid advancement, covering areas up to central Maharashtra, including Mumbai, and the entire northeast by May 29.
While the monsoon has covered most of the country, Delhi has been waiting for the monsoon to arrive. The IMD predicted the monsoon would reach Delhi by June 24, ahead of its normal arrival date of June 27, but the capital has remained dry. The IMD has repeatedly revised its forecasts for Delhi's monsoon arrival, attributing the delay to upper-level atmospheric circulation patterns impeding rainfall over the region. However, the IMD has indicated that conditions are becoming favorable for the monsoon to advance over the remaining parts of the country, including Delhi, in the coming days.
The IMD's extended-range forecast suggests that the monsoon trough is expected to settle around its normal position between July 3 and 10, potentially bringing normal to above-normal rainfall to northwest India, including Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and the Western Himalayas. Heavy rain is also expected in nearby regions, with isolated heavy showers forecasted for Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand between June 27 and July 3.
In May, the IMD had forecasted that India is likely to receive 106% of the long-period average rainfall of 87 cm during the June-September monsoon season. Rainfall between 96% and 104% of this average is considered "normal". Above-normal rainfall is expected in most parts of the country, except for Ladakh, adjoining areas of Himachal Pradesh, the northeast, and some parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha. Some isolated areas in Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu may record below-normal rainfall.
Despite the overall positive forecast, there have been some concerns about rainfall distribution. From June 11 to June 27, the country experienced below-normal rainfall activity, resulting in an overall below-normal precipitation of 147.2 mm in June, compared to the normal of 165.3 mm for the month. This was the seventh-lowest June rainfall since 2001. The IMD has forecasted that India could experience above-normal rainfall in July, with heavy rains potentially causing floods in the western Himalayan states and river basins in the central parts of the country.
