The southwest monsoon is likely to arrive later than usual in Madhya Pradesh this year, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has ruled out its entry into the state for at least three to four more days. Normally, the monsoon reaches Madhya Pradesh between June 15 and 18.
Current Monsoon Progress and Forecast
Arun Sharma, a meteorologist at IMD Bhopal, noted that the monsoon's progress remains sluggish. "At present, the monsoon is moving slowly, and its entry into Madhya Pradesh is not expected over the next three to four days. It has already crossed its normal arrival period in the state. Based on current conditions, there is a high probability that the monsoon will enter through southeastern districts such as Balaghat, Seoni, Chhindwara, and Dindori, as the Bay of Bengal branch is stronger than the Arabian Sea branch, which is relatively weak at the moment," he explained.
On Monday, the southwest monsoon advanced into the remaining parts of Andhra Pradesh and further into Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Bihar. The northern limit of the monsoon passed through Harnai, Solapur, Hyderabad, Bhadrachalam, Koraput, Phulbani, Ranchi, Jamui, and Muzaffarpur before extending into Nepal.
Weather Influences and Outlook
Sharma stated that a sea-level monsoon trough stretching from Punjab through Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to Bihar is influencing weather conditions. Additionally, an upper air cyclonic circulation persists over southeast Pakistan and adjoining Rajasthan. "Monsoon activity is expected to intensify over Madhya Pradesh only after a fresh western disturbance affects northwest India around June 18," he added.
A trough system remains active over the state, bringing pre-monsoon weather. The IMD has forecast thunderstorms and rain over the next four days in districts including Indore, Ujjain, Ratlam, Jhabua, Alirajpur, Dhar, Barwani, Khargone, Dewas, Harda, Khandwa, and Burhanpur, even as spells of intense heat continue.
Indore Weather Update
In Indore, more than an inch of rain early on Sunday briefly brought down temperatures. However, clearer skies later pushed the minimum temperature up by 6.3 degrees Celsius to 25.8 degrees Celsius on Monday. The maximum temperature stood at 37.1 degrees Celsius. The city may witness light showers on Tuesday, with rain activity expected to intensify and continue over the following days.
