The monsoon has arrived in Punjab three days ahead of schedule, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Sunday. With this early onset, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected across north-western India, including Punjab, Haryana, and Jammu & Kashmir, until June 28.
According to the IMD, the southwest monsoon has now covered most of Himachal Pradesh, all of Ladakh and Kashmir, large parts of Jammu, and parts of Punjab. The northern limit of the monsoon now passes through Barmer, Jaipur, Agra, Rampur, Dehradun, Shimla, Jammu, and Pathankot.
Conditions are favourable for the monsoon to advance further into more parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Jammu over the next two days. Originally, the monsoon’s arrival in Punjab and western Jammu was expected around June 25.
In 2024, the monsoon had reached parts of Punjab and Haryana only by late June and fully covered both states by July 2. Last year, Punjab received 314.6 mm of rainfall compared to the seasonal average of 439.8 mm, while Haryana recorded 409.4 mm against the normal of 430.7 mm.
In the last 24 hours, light to moderate rain and thunderstorms were reported in several parts of Punjab, especially Pathankot, and in parts of Haryana. However, rainfall in June so far has been slightly below normal — 11% less in Punjab and 7% less in Haryana.
Despite the rains, daytime temperatures have been slightly cooler than normal — up to three degrees lower in some places. The IMD expects no major temperature change in Punjab over the next three days, though temperatures in Haryana may drop by 3 to 4 degrees Celsius.
An upper air cyclonic circulation over northeast Rajasthan and an east-west trough from north Punjab to north Bihar are helping push the monsoon forward. These systems are also responsible for the current weather patterns.
The IMD has issued an orange alert — indicating the likelihood of heavy to very heavy rainfall — for Punjab and Haryana on June 25, and a yellow alert till June 28.
People in the region should prepare for light to moderate rainfall, along with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of up to 40 km/h, especially between June 22 and 26.
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