Kolkata, 10 June (H.S.): The southwest monsoon reached the Indian mainland ten days ahead of schedule this year, bringing heavy rains to Kerala, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. It even entered North Bengal on May 29—ten days earlier than the usual June 8 timeline. However, the monsoon’s progress has since stalled, leaving South Bengal hot and dry.

Though the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has not yet confirmed the date for monsoon onset in South Bengal, meteorologists have forecast rain accompanied by thunderstorms across Gangetic West Bengal starting Thursday, June 12. The upcoming week is expected to be crucial for both eastern and southern parts of the country.

According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, May 2025 was India’s coolest May since 1933, largely due to early monsoon winds. However, since the monsoon stalled, rainfall between June 1 and 6 has averaged just 19 mm across the country.

Experts point out that the monsoon branch entering via the Arabian Sea has not progressed beyond Maharashtra, while the Bay of Bengal branch remains stuck over Sikkim and North Bengal. As a result, despite the official onset of monsoon season, parts of northwest India such as Punjab and Rajasthan are still experiencing extreme heat. On Monday, Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan recorded a maximum temperature of 47.4 degrees Celsius.

Meteorologists remain optimistic about a shift in Bengal’s weather. Rainfall is expected in at least 70% of South Bengal’s weather stations over the next six days. As full-scale monsoon rains are yet to arrive, thunderstorm activity is likely to be intense during this period. Gusty winds blowing at speeds of 40–50 km/h are also expected across wide areas, prompting weather alerts.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh