Monsoon Split Deepens Across India as North Bengal Faces Extreme Rainfall and Central India Battles Severe Heat

A red alert has been issued for North Bengal for June 20, warning that isolated pockets of Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts may receive rainfall exceeding 20 centimeters within 24 hours. Persistent heavy rainfall is also expected across Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Cooch Behar, raising serious concerns over waterlogging, landslides in hill districts, crop damage, and reduced visibility.

In the eastern Himalayan region and the Northeast, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura, very heavy rainfall is forecast over the coming days. Authorities have warned of flash floods, landslides, and widespread transport disruptions in vulnerable hilly terrain.

Satellite imagery released by the India Meteorological Department shows a broad lightning corridor stretching from the Himalayan region through eastern and central India down to parts of southern India, reflecting highly unstable atmospheric conditions across the country.

While North Bengal remains under intense monsoon activity, South Bengal, including Kolkata, has experienced a comparatively weak spell since the onset of the monsoon on June 11. After several dry days, Kolkata finally received rainfall on Thursday, offering brief relief from oppressive humidity. Meteorologists attribute this uneven distribution to the seasonal trough remaining close to the Himalayan foothills, concentrating rainfall over northern regions.

In the national capital region, conditions remain harsh despite thunderstorm forecasts. Delhi and surrounding areas of Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh are expected to experience thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching 40–50 kilometers per hour. However, maximum temperatures are projected to remain between 39 and 42 degrees Celsius, with high humidity worsening discomfort. Heatwave conditions are likely to persist across parts of eastern and western Uttar Pradesh until June 24.

Across central and eastern India, including Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh, frequent thunderstorms accompanied by lightning are expected. Eastern Rajasthan may witness dust storms and severe thundersqualls, with wind speeds reaching 60–70 kilometers per hour and occasional gusts up to 80 kilometers per hour. Parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand also face isolated hailstorm risks, threatening agriculture and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the west coast is preparing for a significant revival of monsoon activity. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast over Konkan and Goa, Coastal Karnataka, and Kerala, with continuous showers expected in Kerala until at least June 24. Districts including Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod remain under heavy rainfall alerts.

Meteorologists state that the southwest monsoon continues its gradual advancement, influenced by interactions between western disturbances and cyclonic circulations. The monsoon has already covered parts of Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Bihar, and is expected to progress further into Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Telangana over the next four to five days.

For the agricultural sector, particularly farmers preparing for the kharif sowing season, the pace and distribution of rainfall remain critical in determining planting schedules and crop outcomes across major agricultural belts.

The evolving pattern underscores a highly volatile monsoon phase, marked by simultaneous extremes of flooding rains, thunderstorms, and heat stress across different regions of the country.