The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday declared the onset of the southwest monsoon over Mumbai and Delhi.“Southwest monsoon has advanced over Mumbai and Delhi today, 25th June 2023,” said the IMD in a statement on Sunday morning, June 25, adding that detailed coverage of the monsoon and its progress will be revealed later in the day.
While the monsoon was delayed by 14 days in Mumbai, it arrived two days early in Delhi. The normal date for monsoon onset (1961-2019) over Mumbai is June 11, and for Delhi, it is June 27. However, this has made it a highly unusual monsoon year where both cities recorded an onset simultaneously.The last time both cities were hit by monsoon at the same time was on June 21, 1961. The IMD classifies it as ‘very light’ rainfall when it is between ‘trace’ and 2.4mm in 24 hours. ‘Light’ rainfall between 2.5mm and 15.5mm; ‘moderate’ between 15.6mm and 64.4mm and ‘heavy’ rainfall when over 64.4 mm is recorded in a single day.