Monsoon Surges Into Central India as Heatwave Grips the East: A Split Weather Map

India presented a starkly divided weather picture on 24 June, with the southwest monsoon gaining momentum across the west and centre of the country while a stubborn heatwave continued to bake central and eastern states. The contrast left tens of millions waiting for relief even as others braced for heavy downpours.

Monsoon gains ground

The IMD said the monsoon had advanced further into parts of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, the remaining parts of Maharashtra, and more of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Heavy to very heavy rain, accompanied by gusty winds and thunderstorms, was forecast for Mumbai and the Konkan coast, while the northeast and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim were warned of 7 to 20 cm spells through the week.

In the hills, the remnants of a western disturbance brought light to moderate rain across Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand, with the Shimla centre noting conditions had turned favourable for the monsoon to push further into the state over the following days.

Heat refuses to break

Even as clouds gathered in the west, isolated heatwave to severe heatwave conditions persisted over Vidarbha, Odisha, Bihar and adjoining areas. Across Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, maximum temperatures hovered between 38 and 42 degrees Celsius, with humid, sticky conditions adding to discomfort.

• Monsoon advanced into Gujarat, central India and more of the east
• Heavy rain and thunderstorms forecast for Mumbai and Konkan
• Northeast braced for 7 to 20 cm rainfall spells during the week
• Severe heat persisted over Vidarbha, Odisha and Bihar
• Delhi-NCR endured humid heat with highs of 38 to 42 degrees Celsius

An uneven, El Nino-shadowed season

The split map reflects an uncertain season. The monsoon reached Kerala on 4 June, later than normal, and the IMD has flagged below-normal rainfall at around 90 percent of the long-period average, with El Nino conditions expected to develop and suppress rains. For farmers and water managers, the patchy advance and lingering heat sharpen worries over sowing schedules and reservoir levels in the weeks ahead.

The NE Times View

A monsoon drenching the centre while the east bakes is becoming the new normal, and that volatility is the real story. The NE Times View: India's disaster and agriculture planning is still built for predictable seasons, not for a country split across extremes on the same day. Adapting cropping, water storage and heat-action plans to this whiplash is no longer optional.

This article is original commentary and analysis by The NE Times. Background facts were referenced from The Hindu and Hindustan Times.