The monsoon has covered the entire country, including Delhi-NCR, nine days ahead of its normal schedule. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Sunday, June 29, 2025, that the southwest monsoon has advanced into the remaining parts of Rajasthan, West Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and the entire Delhi region. The usual date for the monsoon to cover the entire country is July 8.
This is only the fourth time in the past 25 years that the monsoon has covered Delhi-NCR and the remaining parts of northwest India on the same day. The last time this occurred was on July 13, 2021, and before that, on June 16, 2013. In 2013, Kedarnath experienced a major disaster due to a cloudburst and flash floods on the same day.
This year, it took the monsoon 37 days to cover the entire country since its onset over Kerala on May 24, which was eight days before the normal date. On average, the monsoon covers all of India in 38 days, from June 1 to July 8. In 2013, it covered the entire country in just 16 days.
The early arrival of the monsoon has brought light to moderate rain across Delhi-NCR, with showers and gusty winds reported in several parts of the capital. Neighboring areas in Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, including Noida, have also experienced scattered rain and thunderstorms, with wind speeds reaching up to 50 km/h in some places. Delhi is expected to have rainy and relatively cooler weather through early July. The weather forecast for Monday, June 30, 2025, is heavy thunderstorms during the day and thunderstorms at night, with a 75% chance of rain.
The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall across large swathes of Northwest, Central, East, and Northeast India over the next seven days. Jharkhand is expected to witness isolated extremely heavy rainfall on June 29 and 30, while Odisha is likely to experience similar conditions on June 29. Uttarakhand is expected to receive significant showers from June 29 to July 3, and Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana on June 29 and 30.
The early or delayed onset or coverage of the monsoon does not impact the quantitative aspects of the rainfall or its distribution over the country during the four-month monsoon season (June 1-September 30). However, it guides the progress of kharif sowing operations, as farmers usually decide on the crops to opt for keeping in mind the requirements of the irrigation cycle.
IMD data shows that India as a whole has received 8% more cumulative monsoon rainfall than normal until June 29, with northwest and central parts getting over 37% and 24% excess rain, respectively. This has boosted sowing operations this June compared with the corresponding period last year.
While east and northeast India and the southern peninsula reported a rainfall deficit of 16.7% and 1.7%, respectively, until June 29, it did not impact the overall acreage of kharif crops in the country. Data from the agriculture ministry shows that all kharif crops taken together reported an acreage of 138 lakh hectares until June 20.
In Uttarakhand, the Char Dham Yatra has been suspended for 24 hours following a red alert for heavy rainfall. Pilgrims heading to Badrinath and Kedarnath are being stopped at Srinagar or Rudraprayag, while those bound for Yamunotri and Gangotri are being halted at Vikasnagar and Barkot. Pilgrims already at the shrines are being brought back under strict safety measures.
