According to India Meteorological Department scientist Sushma Nair, the southwest monsoon made its official onset over Mumbai on June 23, 2026. The development confirms the seasonal shift over the financial capital after a notable delay compared to the climatological norm.
The normal date for monsoon arrival in Mumbai is June 11. The current onset is recorded as the city’s latest arrival since June 25, 2023. It also ranks among the most delayed monsoon onsets of the past decade, though it remains earlier than the extreme late arrivals of June 25 recorded in both 2019 and 2023, which stand among the latest in recent history.
Meteorological data highlights a contrasting pattern from the previous year when the southwest monsoon arrived on May 26, 2025, marking the earliest onset in Mumbai in 75 years. That arrival was 16 days ahead of the normal date, driven by rapid atmospheric development over the Arabian Sea.
The India Meteorological Department further stated that the southwest monsoon has advanced into remaining parts of the central Arabian Sea, additional regions of Maharashtra including Mumbai, remaining areas of Telangana and Odisha, and parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Bihar on June 23, 2026.
The Northern Limit of Monsoon currently passes through 20°N/60°E, 20°N/65°E, 20°N/70°E, Dahanu, Wardha, Raipur, Daltonganj, Motihari, and 28.3°N/83°E as of June 23, 2026.
The meteorological department has indicated favourable conditions for further advancement of the southwest monsoon over the coming days. The system is expected to progress into parts of the North Arabian Sea and Gujarat, additional areas of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, and parts of Madhya Pradesh within the next two to three days. Further advancement into remaining regions of Jharkhand and Bihar, along with parts of Uttar Pradesh, is expected over the subsequent three to four days.
Historical data from the India Meteorological Department shows significant variability in Mumbai’s monsoon onset dates between 1950 and 2025, despite June 11 being the standard arrival date. Recorded onset dates have ranged from as early as May 26 to as late as June 25, reflecting strong year-to-year fluctuations influenced by multiple atmospheric and oceanic conditions.
The earliest recorded onset occurred on May 26, 2025, the fastest arrival in Mumbai since records began in 1950. Earlier early arrivals include May 29 in 1956, 1962, and 1971. The latest onsets were recorded on June 25 in 1959, 2019, and 2023, with several other years experiencing arrivals in the third or fourth week of June.
Long-term trends show no fixed pattern. In the 1950s, monsoon onset varied between May 29 and June 21. The 1970s saw both early arrivals such as June 2 and June 3 and delayed arrivals extending up to June 24. Similar fluctuations continued through the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, with onset dates spanning late May to late June.
In the last decade, Mumbai has experienced continued variability in monsoon onset: June 8 in 2015, June 20 in 2016, June 10 in 2017, June 9 in 2018, June 25 in 2019, June 14 in 2020, June 9 in 2021, June 11 in 2022, June 25 in 2023, June 6 in 2024, and May 26 in 2025.
The latest onset underscores the highly dynamic nature of the southwest monsoon and its dependence on complex atmospheric and oceanic interactions that govern its progression along India’s western coastline.
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