India Weather Update: Southwest Monsoon Set to Advance into Maharashtra and Bihar; Heavy Rain and Heatwave Alerts Issued Across Regions

NEW DELHI JUNE 20,2026 — The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on June 20, 2026, that atmospheric conditions have turned highly favorable for the further advancement of the Southwest Monsoon. The weather system is projected to push into more parts of Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Bihar, alongside sections of Chhattisgarh, around June 23, 2026. Currently, the Northern Limit of Monsoon continues to stretch through key reference points including Harnai, Solapur, Hyderabad, Ranchi, and Muzaffarpur.

Intense Rainfall and Storm Alerts Across East and Northeast India

Regions in East and Northeast India are bracing for a week of volatile weather. The IMD has issued a severe warning for Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, where isolated extremely heavy rainfall is predicted through June 21, followed by very heavy downpours on June 22 and June 26. Fairly widespread to widespread rain is also on the horizon for Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

In the last 24 hours, significant precipitation has already caused a stir, with Bhatkawa Tea Estate in West Bengal recording a massive 18 cm of rain, and areas in Tamil Nadu like Aavoor witnessing 14 cm. Furthermore, moderate to severe thunderstorm activities accompanied by thundersqualls hitting speeds of 50–60 kmph (gusting up to 70 kmph) are expected to impact Central and East India, specifically targeting Jharkhand and Odisha over the next 48 hours.

Scorching Heatwaves Persist in the North, West, and South

Even as the monsoon makes steady progress, severe summer conditions refuse to back down in several pockets of the country. Isolated heatwave conditions are highly likely to prevail over East Uttar Pradesh and Vidarbha until June 24, while Konkan & Goa and Madhya Maharashtra face intense heat today. Bihar and Telangana will remain under a heatwave advisory until June 21.

Temperature data from the past 24 hours highlights that maximum temperatures peaked between 40°C and 42°C across parts of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar, with Banda in Uttar Pradesh clocking the nation’s highest temperature at 44.2°C. Night temperatures also remained markedly above normal across vast swaths of the country, offering little respite after sunset. However, a gradual drop in maximum temperatures by 2°C to 5°C is expected over Northwest India, Maharashtra, and the Southern Peninsula after June 21–22 as rain clouds move in.

Regional Forecast Breakdown: West, South, and Northwest India

• Northwest India: Fairly widespread rain is predicted for Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad from June 20–22, accompanied by isolated hailstorms. Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan will experience isolated to scattered rainfall alongside gusty winds up to 60 kmph through June 23.
• West India: The Konkan & Goa region will transition from isolated showers to widespread heavy rainfall between June 22 and June 25, with isolated heavy falls continuing through June 24. Parts of Gujarat and Saurashtra & Kutch will experience isolated thunderstorms and lightning.
• Central India: Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and Chhattisgarh are in for scattered rainfall accompanied by gusty winds hitting up to 60 kmph through June 26, following a powerful thundersquall expected in West Madhya Pradesh today.
• South Peninsular India: Widespread monsoon rains will target Kerala, Lakshadweep, and Coastal Karnataka during the week. Isolated heavy rainfall is scheduled to slam Telangana, Rayalaseema, and Coastal Andhra Pradesh later in the week between June 22 and June 26.

IMD Issues Strict Safety Warnings for Fishermen

Safety Advisory: Due to turbulent sea conditions and high-velocity squally winds, the IMD has strongly advised fishermen against venturing into the Gulf of Mannar, the central and southwest Bay of Bengal, and along the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coasts. On the western coast, restrictions span across the Somalia coast, Oman-Yemen coasts, and the coastal stretches of Gujarat, Konkan, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala running through June 25, 2026.