Monsoon 2026: Delhi to not get respite from heat anytime soon? Details here

The southwest monsoon is unlikely to reach Delhi on or before its normal onset date of June 27, private weather forecasting agency Skymet said. The agency said the western arm of the monsoon trough has remained stalled over the Konkan region since June 8, while the eastern end has stayed near Muzaffarpur in Bihar for the past five days, with no major advance of either end likely over the next five days.

Skymet said that even if the monsoon trough moves ahead, its progress is likely to remain slow because of unfavourable weather conditions, making a delayed onset over Delhi likely. Despite this, the city is expected to continue receiving pre-monsoon showers through the week, with light and short-lived rain and thunderstorms likely to keep temperatures in check and prevent the mercury from touching 40 degrees Celsius.

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The base weather station at Safdarjung has recorded maximum temperatures of around 33 degrees Celsius over the past few days, nearly 6 degrees below normal. Minimum temperatures have also stayed 4 degrees below normal. Skymet said a marginal rise in temperatures is expected over the next three to four days, with the mercury likely to remain in the higher 30 degrees Celsius range till Sunday.

The agency said Delhi’s monsoon arrival has remained within the error margin of the normal date, plus or minus five days, over the past four years. In 2025, the monsoon reached Delhi on June 29 while also covering the rest of the country, completing its spread across the Indian mainland more than a week ahead of the normal date of July 8. In 2021, it reached Delhi on July 13, the city’s second-most delayed onset. The most delayed onset was in 1987, when the monsoon hit Delhi on July 26.

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Amid the wait for the monsoon, Delhi has also been reviewing its preparedness for the season. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday warned officials that negligence over waterlogging would not be tolerated. “If waterlogging occurs in any area, the concerned officer will be held accountable. All departments should keep their teams on alert and remain prepared to deal with any emergency during the monsoon,” Gupta said.

Officials said a nodal officer will be appointed for every identified waterlogging point, while relief and rescue equipment will be inspected and evacuation arrangements kept ready in case of flooding.

I&FC officials said, “More than 30 lakh metric tonnes of silt have been removed from 77 drains, including 22 major drains, while the remaining work is continuing on a war footing.” The department has also developed a digital system for real-time updates on water released from Hathnikund Barrage, water flow in the Palla area and the Yamuna’s water level.