The southwest monsoon has advanced into Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra and is expected to reach Mumbai by June 10, the India Meteorological Department said on Thursday.
Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana, the remaining parts of Karnataka and coastal Andhra Pradesh will also see the onset of monsoon over the next three to four days, the weather department said.
The southwest monsoon season generally begins in June and starts to retreat by September.
On May 30, the India Meteorological Department said that the southwest monsoon had arrived in Kerala, two days before the season’s normal onset date.
This is the first time in nearly a decade that the weather agency has predicted above-normal rainfall in its long-range forecast for the season.
On Thursday, the weather agency also said that the heatwave conditions continued to prevail over parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh.
It said that a fresh heatwave spell was “very likely” to commence on June 10 over northwest India and subsequently extend to the eastern parts of the country.
Since May 17, heatwave conditions prevailed in Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Rajasthan. Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have seen temperatures soaring since May 18.
Several states also reported deaths due to heat-related illnesses.
On May 29, a weather station at Mungeshpur in Delhi recorded an ambient temperature of 52.3 degrees Celsius, which was the highest temperature ever recorded in the country. On May 31, Maharashtra’s Nagpur recorded a temperature of 56 degrees Celsius. However, the weather agency attributed both numbers to likely errors in its sensors.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!