New Delhi: The Southwest Monsoon has advanced into South Konkan, threatening heavy downpours across several regions of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg until June 9. Despite this swift entry, meteorologists expect the overall precipitation pattern across Maharashtra to weaken slightly heading into next week. Concurrently, the India Meteorological Department has confirmed the arrival of monsoon currents in the northeastern states of Manipur and Mizoram. The weather system is projected to expand its coverage over the next 48 hours, moving into the remaining sectors of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and the rest of the northeastern region.
While heavy rain lashes several districts across Keralam, Karnataka, Goa, and Tamil Nadu, regional weather anomalies persist. Chennai recorded temperatures above 40°C for the fifth consecutive day despite the seasonal shift. Meanwhile, northern India, including Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and eastern Rajasthan, is experiencing a renewed surge in extreme temperatures, prompting official heatwave alerts.
Pre-monsoon weather patterns brought widespread activity across the country, with Gujarat remaining the only state untouched by the early showers. Intense rainfall accompanied by squally winds hitting speeds of up to 50 km/h struck parts of Madhya Pradesh, including Bhopal, on Saturday. Hailstorms were reported in Bikaner, Rajasthan, while parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand experienced severe thundershowers.
After an initial delay of three days, the monsoon has rapidly gained momentum, covering seven states in just four days. The system penetrated Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, and Manipur on Saturday, following its progression into Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Goa on Friday. According to weather forecasters, the monsoon is on track to cover the entirety of the Northeast and parts of West Bengal over the next three days, with projections placing its arrival in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha within the next ten days. However, experts from Skymet Weather noted that the advancement through central and eastern India might decelerate due to the absence of a strong atmospheric system in the Bay of Bengal.
On the global front, data from European meteorological agencies indicates the official onset of El Niño conditions as Pacific Ocean temperatures surpass critical thresholds. Scientists warn that sea surface temperatures could rise up to 3°C above average by December, potentially making this cycle more severe than the historic anomalies of 1997-1998 and 2015-2016. Some extreme predictive models even suggest spikes of up to 4°C, raising concerns over global climate disruptions and heightened temperatures later this year.
The immediate forecast for June 8 indicates heavy to very heavy downpours across Keralam, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, alongside storm warnings for Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. High-velocity winds and dust storms are anticipated across Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh. By June 9, wet spells will persist across the southern peninsula and Lakshadweep, while severe heatwave warnings remain active for Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, with nocturnal heatwave conditions predicted for Odisha.
