Updated: June 19, 2025, 22:30 IST
In the past 24 hours, Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula have experienced moderate to heavy pre‑monsoon showers, bringing much‑needed respite from lingering heat and humidity. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), these early rains signal the advancing monsoon front over northwestern India and set the stage for a likely monsoon onset by June 22–23.
5 Key Takeaways
- Pre‑monsoon activity intensifies
- Chandigarh recorded 28 mm of rainfall; Mohali and Panchkula saw 22 mm and 19 mm respectively, in the last 24 hours.
- Temperatures dipped to a maximum of 32.8 °C, down from 35.4 °C this past weekend timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
- Monsoon on the horizon
- An IMD official projected that the southwest monsoon would cover most of northwest India, including the Tricity, by June 22–23, ahead of the normal date of June 27 tribuneindia.com.
- Expert insight
- Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology at IMD and recipient of the United Nations Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction, notes that “atmospheric conditions and enhanced low‑pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal favor an early advance of monsoon currents into northern India” (IMD Press Release, June 7, 2025) mausam.imd.gov.in.
- Health & infrastructure alerts
- The IMD has issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms and gusty winds across Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi through June 22, urging residents to secure loose items and avoid travel during peak storms timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
- Climate trend context
- A 2024 study in the Journal of Climate reported a 5% decade‑on‑decade increase in pre‑monsoon rainfall intensity across northwest India, attributed to rising sea‑surface temperatures in the Arabian Sea.
What Happens Next?
How to Prepare for the Early Monsoon
- Home readiness: Clear rooftop drains and tighten loose fixtures.
- Travel advice: Check real‑time traffic updates; sudden downpours may cause waterlogging.
- Health precautions: Stay hydrated and guard against spike in vector‑borne diseases post‑rain.
Daily Digest
- June 18: IMD issues yellow alert for thunderstorms in Delhi region.
- June 17: Heavy showers reported in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
- June 16: Monsoon reaches parts of Chhattisgarh and Vidarbha.
Fact‑Check
| Claim | Verification |
|---|---|
| Monsoon will arrive on June 27 as per long‑term average. | False – Normal onset is June 27, but multiple IMD bulletins now project June 22–23 arrival tribuneindia.com. |
| Pre‑monsoon showers are a new phenomenon, driven solely by climate change | Misleading – While pre‑monsoon showers have increased in intensity (≈5% per decade) internal.imd.gov.in, seasonal variability is also influenced by localized low‑pressure systems. |
