Signs of Monsoon Advancing Toward the West Coast and Central India
22-Jun-2026 05:50 PM
Thiruvananthapuram: After remaining sluggish and stalled for nearly a fortnight, the southwest monsoon is showing signs of becoming active and advancing toward India's western coast and central regions. According to the Meteorological Department, the monsoon could reach Mumbai within the next 36 to 48 hours. Once it arrives, it is expected to progress more rapidly than before.
This development is likely to increase soil moisture in drought-affected agricultural areas of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, enabling farmers to accelerate the sowing of kharif crops. So far, this season's monsoon rainfall in Maharashtra has been disappointing.
According to weather officials, the increased activity of the monsoon has been influenced by a passing Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). Although an active MJO often raises expectations of heavy rainfall, actual precipitation is sometimes limited. Normally, rainfall along the west coast should have begun around June 10–12, but this year the monsoon has been significantly delayed. Nevertheless, sufficient time still remains for kharif sowing, and the expected rains are likely to boost farmers' confidence. Central India is also expected to benefit from the rainfall.
Weather activity over the Arabian Sea has intensified, and the structure of the monsoon branch there is becoming stronger. Some atmospheric activity is also being observed over the Bay of Bengal, where a low-pressure area is developing. This system is expected to strengthen the monsoon further and support its advance across the country.
In southern India, rainfall is already continuing in Tamil Nadu.
Satellite imagery indicates that a well-organized trough of monsoon clouds is moving along the western coast, extending from Panaji and Ratnagiri through Mangaluru, coastal Karnataka, and Kerala toward the south. However, only scattered light clouds are currently visible over Mumbai. In Kerala, the cloud trough stretches from Thrissur to Thiruvananthapuram.