‘A Rare May Onset’: As Monsoon Charges Toward Maharashtra, Could This Be The Earliest In Years?

Last Updated:May 24, 2025, 15:48 IST

Monsoon typically advances into Goa & Maharashtra in June's first week, reaching Mumbai around June 11. But this year, it could make an early entry in the next 2–3 days

With conditions favouring Monsoon’s further progress, the IMD alerted that it could cover entire Goa, and enter some parts of Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh during the next 2-3 days. (News18)

After making a roaring onset on the southern coast, the southwest monsoon is charging towards Maharashtra in what could be its earliest arrival over the state in years. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rains along the west coast and forecast the monsoon’s onset in the state in next 2-3 days.

The powerful rainy system—responsible for providing over 75 per cent of the annual rains over the country—typically arrives over Kerala on June 1, and completely covers the country by July 8. However, this year, not only did it arrive eight days early— May 24—it also recorded its fastest onset over India in 16 years. It also reached Mizoram—12 days before its normal date.

According to the weather department, the monsoon simultaneously entered Kerala, Mahe, parts of Karnataka, and many parts of Tamil Nadu on Saturday, with red alert warning of extremely heavy rain spells for the southern states. As of Saturday, its northern limit passes through Karwar, Shimoga (Karnataka), Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Saiha (Mizoram) on the eastern front.

The MeT officially declared the monsoon’s arrival highlighting the widespread rains in Kerala during the last two days, with increased cloud cover over the southeast Arabian Sea and adjoining parts of peninsular India, and westerly winds blowing up to 4.5 km high, with 37-50 kmph near the surface. “Based on these conditions, the Southwest Monsoon has officially set in over Kerala today, May 24," announced IMD.

A RARE MAY ONSET IN MAHARASHTRA

With conditions favouring Monsoon’s further progress, the IMD alerted that it could cover entire Goa, and enter some parts of Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh during the next 2-3 days. At this speed, it would also mark one of the earliest arrivals over Maharashtra, say meteorologists. The seasonal rains typically begin over Kolhapur in Maharashtra around June 9, spread to Satara, Pune and reach Mumbai by June 11, and Nagpur by June 15. However, at the current pace, it may cover these coastal regions in May itself.

“This is unusual. It does not happen very often," said K S Hosalikar, former senior meteorologist at IMD. “Given the kind of rain we are experiencing in Konkan, and Goa, it is quite possible that the monsoon may reach the state within the next 1-2 days. It is very close. This could be one of the rarest occasions when monsoon begins over Maharashtra in May itself. Generally, it reaches Konkan during the first week of June."

The senior scientist who also headed IMD Pune’s weather forecasting division highlighted that most districts of Maharashtra witnessed good rains this May before the monsoon– from thunderstorms, as well as other systems that developed. “It was not as dry as it occurs during the peak of summer in May. But the heavy rains have also triggered landslides, flooding in vulnerable areas, especially cities. There was also an intense system – a depression, so the disaster management officials were alerted about its subsequent impact," he added.

INTENSE SYSTEM SLAMS WEST COAST, RED ALERT

But it is not just the monsoon, the west coast also bore the impact of an intense system—a depression over east-central Arabian Sea and adjoining south Konkan coast. There were heavy rains over the region with squally winds gusting up to 65kmph. The system crossed the south Konkan coast near Ratnagiri on Saturday afternoon.

According to MeT, after landfall, it is likely to move eastwards across Madhya Maharashtra and weaken gradually into a well-marked low-pressure area by Sunday. However, the sea conditions are likely to remain very rough along & off Kerala, Karnataka, Konkan-Goa & adjoining Gujarat coasts till May 27.

SOUTHERN STATES DRENCHED AS MONSOON GALLOPS THROUGH

Apart from Goa and Maharashtra, the monsoon is galloping through other states in the southern peninsula, where the MeT has warned of widespread rains during the next five days. Monsoon could also record an early onset in Andhra Pradesh, where the seasonal rains typically begin around June 8, and rapidly spread across Karnataka, where the monsoon generally arrives first over Udupi around June 4.

On the eastern front, the IMD forecasted the monsoon to advance over some parts of Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim, and more parts of North Bay of Bengal during the next 2-3 days.

The vigorous monsoon conditions follow IMD’s first long-range forecast, which predicted above-normal rains from June to September—at least 105 per cent (+/-5) above the long-period average (LPA). The long-period average for the seasonal rainfall over India from 1971 to 2020 is 87 cm.

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