The southwest monsoon finally arrived in Delhi on Thursday, bringing widespread rains and much needed relief from the hot and humid weather that had gripped the country’s capital for several days. The monsoon arrived in Delhi on July 2, just five days later than its normal onset date of June 27, the first time since 2021 that the city has experienced the rainy season in July, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.
The delayed onset is a far cry from the earlier years. The southwest monsoon arrived in Delhi on June 29, 2025, June 28, 2024, June 25, 2023, and June 30, 2022. In 2021, the monsoon arrived much later on July 13, so this year's onset is the latest in five years.
On Thursday morning, some parts of Delhi experienced intermittent rain and light winds that brought relief in the form of cool temperatures and sticky humidity. And in many parts of Delhi there was a cloudy sky throughout the day as rain continued at regular intervals. In addition to improving the air quality, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) at a level of 100 was recorded at 9 a.m. by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). A 51-100 level is satisfactory according to CPCB standards, which indicates good air quality with minimal health issues for sensitive people.
The IMD has warned that the wet spell is far from over. The weather department has predicted generally cloudy skies, lightning, moderate to heavy rainfall, and strong winds blowing at 40 to 50 kmph over Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) over the next several days.
As the temperature increased, the IMD raised its warning and issued a Red Alert for Delhi-NCR, cautioning residents about the possibility of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds. A Red Alert is issued when extreme weather conditions are expected to develop and severe weather conditions are expected to cause a huge disruption in life, requiring residents to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions.
VIDEO | Delhi: Several parts of the national capital received light to moderate rainfall on Thursday morning, bringing relief from the humid conditions. Visuals from near Mayur Vihar.#DelhiRains #Monsoon #WeatherUpdate
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 2, 2026
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The weather experts say rainfall activity will keep going and is likely to remain active over the weekend. Light to moderate rain is expected in most places, with some areas likely to receive heavy showers. While the IMD has not given a specific citywide rainfall forecast in millimetres, weather systems based on an active monsoon trough and a developing low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal are expected to sustain rainfall across northwestern India for the next three to five days.
Authorities have advised commuters to remain cautious as heavy rainfall could lead to waterlogging on low-lying roads, traffic congestion, reduced visibility, and temporary disruptions to transportation services. Residents have also been urged to avoid unnecessary travel during periods of intense rainfall and thunderstorms and to stay updated with official weather advisories.
The IMD has also issued Yellow Alerts for parts of western and central India, warning of heavy rainfall in those areas. At the same time, weather conditions are favourable for the southwest monsoon to push further into the rest of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and other areas of Madhya Pradesh over the next two to three days.
The monsoon is expected to give sustained relief from the summer heat and support water reservoirs and agricultural activities in northern India. But heavy rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds also heighten the risk of localized flooding, tree falls, and traffic disruption.
With the monsoon established over Delhi now, residents will also be seeing frequent spells of rain over the coming days as the city goes into the peak phase of the rainy season. Meteorologists will be closely monitoring evolving weather systems at work, and city agencies will be on the lookout for any weather-related emergencies as the capital braces for an active monsoon spell.
