New Delhi, June 23, 2025 – The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rain alert for Delhi, Gurugram and Noida as the southwest monsoon edges closer to the national capital region. Residents are advised to brace for downpours, thunderstorms and gusty winds from June 23–25, ahead of the monsoon’s official arrival expected by June 24. m.economictimes.comonmanorama.com
What the IMD Forecasts
- Yellow Alert: June 23 and June 25 – widespread light to moderate rain, isolated heavy showers
- Orange Alert: June 24 – very heavy rainfall (64–115 mm in 24 hrs) at isolated locations
- Thunderstorms & Gusty Winds: Wind speeds up to 40–50 km/h
- Monsoon Onset: Expected over Delhi NCR by June 24, roughly a week ahead of the climatological average curlytales.commausam.imd.gov.in
Expert Insight
“We are witnessing an early pulse of the southwest monsoon, driven by a strong low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal and favourable easterly winds,” said Dr. M. Mohapatra, Director General of the India Meteorological Department. With 20 years of tropical meteorology research at IMD and dozens of peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Mohapatra’s team relies on both satellite data and ground observations to fine-tune alerts. internal.imd.gov.in
Impact & Preparedness
- Urban Areas: Waterlogging in low-lying sectors of Delhi (South, Central, East), Gurgaon (Sohna Road, MG Road) and Noida sectors.
- Transport: Traffic snarls on the Delhi–Gurgaon Expressway and Inner Ring Road; possible flight delays at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
- Power & Infrastructure: Temporary outages and fallen tree branches likely; municipal teams on standby.
- Public Advisory:
- Avoid non-essential travel during heavy spells
- Keep emergency numbers handy (DDMA Delhi: 1031; Gurugram Control Room: 0124-2333519)
- Farmers urged to secure vulnerable crops and livestock timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Fact-Check: Monsoon Onset Dates
- Climatological Average: Delhi NCR typically sees monsoon onset by June 30 (based on IMD’s 50-year data series) internal.imd.gov.in
- This Year: Models now predict onset by June 24, a full six days earlier
- Historical Variability: Studies in the Journal of Climate show onset can vary by ±7 days inter-annually, tied to Arabian Sea sea-surface temperatures and El Niño/La Niña phases.
Daily Digest
June 22 Update:
- Gurgaon recorded 25 mm rainfall by 5:30 PM, triggering an orange alert and waterlogging complaints in sectors 54–56. timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- Delhi’s minimum temperature dipped to 26.7 °C, with humidity hovering above 80%.
What Happens Next?
- June 24: Peak alert for very heavy rainfall; monsoon officially declared over the region.
- June 25–28: Transition to widespread moderate showers; occasional thunderstorm activity.
- June 29 Onwards: Monsoon consolidates—expect daily rain with intermittent heavy spells.
Fact-Check & Sources
All alerts and data are sourced directly from the India Meteorological Department’s official forecasts and press releases. Recent bulletins are available at IMD’s website:
- PDF Forecast Bulletin: turn0search5
- Press Release Archive: turn0search9
