Delhi-NCR braces for 44°C heat as monsoon nears, rain relief looms ahead

Delhi-NCR is set for a scorching Tuesday, with temperatures expected to touch 44 degrees Celsius even as the southwest monsoon continues its advance across different parts of the country. The day began with hot and humid conditions, with residents already experiencing intense heat and discomfort during the morning hours.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi and the National Capital Region are likely to witness spells of very light to light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds of up to 60 kmph on June 11 and 12.

Until then, heatwave conditions are expected to persist across the region. The national capital is forecast to record maximum temperatures between 42 degrees Celsius and 44 degrees Celsius under mainly clear skies. Strong surface winds of 20-30 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 40 kmph during the day, are also expected. Similar heatwave conditions are likely to prevail over Haryana, Punjab, West Rajasthan and parts of Uttar Pradesh through June 11.

A fresh western disturbance is expected to affect northwest India from June 11, bringing thunderstorms, gusty winds and light to moderate rainfall to several areas later in the week. The change in weather is expected to provide temporary relief from the prevailing heat.

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon is likely to reach Delhi and the NCR during the last week of June, according to the latest monsoon progression forecast issued by the IMD. The weather department has indicated that the monsoon could arrive in Delhi, along with neighbouring cities such as Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad, between June 25 and June 30.

Several other parts of northern India are also expected to receive seasonal rainfall during the same period as the monsoon continues its northward advance.

For Tuesday, the IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall over Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Northeast India and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal. Extremely heavy rainfall is likely at isolated locations in Kerala and Karnataka, while very heavy rain is expected over Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim.

Widespread rainfall is also likely across Konkan and Goa, Telangana and parts of Andhra Pradesh. Authorities have warned of the possibility of waterlogging, localized flooding and travel disruptions in vulnerable areas.

The southwest monsoon, which normally sets in over Kerala around June 1, arrived this year on June 4, three days later than usual. Since then, it has advanced further into more parts of the Arabian Sea, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Conditions remain favourable for its further advance into central and eastern India, including Odisha, West Bengal and the remaining northeastern states over the next two to three days.

Following its expected arrival in Delhi, the monsoon is forecast to continue advancing across northwestern India, covering Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

For comparison, the monsoon reached Delhi on June 29 in 2025, two days later than the city's normal onset date of June 27, based on long-term climatological data from 1961 to 2019.