Delhi residents may have to wait until the last week of June for the arrival of the southwest monsoon, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) indicating
that the rainy season is likely to reach the national capital and the wider NCR region between June 25 and June 30. The forecast comes after recent spells of rain and thunderstorms brought temporary relief from the intense summer heat across Delhi-NCR. For Saturday and Sunday, the IMD has predicted thunderstorms accompanied by rain. The maximum temperature is expected to remain around 36 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature on Saturday was recorded at 26.4 degrees Celsius, which was 1.2 degrees below normal for this time of the year. Humidity levels stood at 60 per cent on Saturday morning. The southwest monsoon entered Kerala on June 4, a few days later than usual. Despite the delayed onset, weather experts expect it to move steadily across the country over the coming weeks. According to the IMD's latest projections, Delhi, Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad are likely to see the monsoon arrive during the final week of June. Parts of Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh are also expected to receive monsoon rainfall around the same period. Several northern hill regions, including parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, are also likely to receive rain as the monsoon advances northward. Weather officials said a western disturbance that became active earlier this week helped bring rain and cooler conditions to several parts of North India after a prolonged spell of extreme heat. However, authorities have cautioned that heavy rain, strong winds and lightning may accompany some weather systems, which could lead to waterlogging in urban areas and disruptions in vulnerable locations. Meanwhile, Delhi's air quality remained in the "moderate" category on Saturday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 162. Officials said temperatures may rise again after the current spell of rain subsides, before easing once the monsoon reaches the region later this month.
