Monsoon reaches Mumbai two days early

The Southwest monsoon reached Mumbai on June 9, two days earlier than usual after making an early onset over Kerala and northeastern region on May 30

The Southwest monsoon reached Mumbai on June 9, two days earlier than usual after making an early onset over Kerala and northeastern region on May 30, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Last year, the primary rain-bearing system reached Delhi and Mumbai together on June 25, first time since June 21, 1961, with Cyclone Biparjoy impacting its progress over southern India and the adjoining western and central parts of the country. Normally, the monsoon reaches Kerala by June 1, Mumbai by June 11, and the national capital by June 27.

On May 15, the weather office had announced the onset of monsoon over Kerala by May 31.

Weather scientists said cyclone Remal, which ripped through West Bengal and Bangladesh in May-end, pulled the monsoonal flow to the Bay of Bengal, resulting in an early onset over the northeast.

The simultaneous onset of monsoon over Kerala and the northeast is quite rare and has happened on four occasions earlier — 2017, 1997, 1995 and 1991.

The normal monsoon onset date is June 1 for Kerala and June 5 for Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur and Assam.

Between 1971 and 2024, the earliest onset of monsoon over Kerala was in 1990 when the annual rains reached the coastal state on May 18. The onset of monsoon over Kerala happened on May 22 in 1999, and on May 23 in 1974 and 2009.