Monsoon Finally Arrives in Uttar Pradesh
The wait for rain is over in Uttar Pradesh as the southwest monsoon swept into Sonbhadra district on June 18, right on time according to meteorologists. For weeks, the whole of north India had been baking under an intense heatwave due to a stubborn 18-day pause in monsoon progress. The air was thick and dry, daytime highs soared, and tempers frayed as people waited for a break in the scorching weather. Little relief came in the form of scattered pre-monsoon showers in cities like Lucknow, hinting at the coming change.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had been keeping a close watch, and its latest alert is clear: conditions are now set for the monsoon to move quickly into the rest of the state. Weather officials expect most districts—including the densely populated north—to see a clear uptick in rainfall between June 20 and 25. Residents in these areas should prepare for downpours.
Relief Follows a Heatwave—and More Rain Ahead
If you felt the weather had been acting strangely, you weren’t alone. The monsoon’s start this year was dramatic. It arrived early in Kerala on May 24, a date not seen since 2009. The rains then swept fast across the country, reaching central Maharashtra and the northeast by May 29. Then, almost as suddenly, they slowed to a crawl. That delay left northern India—especially Uttar Pradesh—stuck in a sweltering heatwave for over two weeks. Local shops selling cold drinks and fans could barely keep up with demand, while public parks and streets emptied in the afternoons.
It's not just speculation—IMD’s recent outlook says almost all of Uttar Pradesh will get higher-than-average rainfall this season. That’s a break farmers across the region were hoping for, given the patchy rain patterns over the past few years. But not all news is good: while UP can expect these nourishing rains, the agency warns that isolated pockets of neighboring Bihar, West Bengal, and Odisha might see less rain than usual. That could spell trouble for crops and water supplies in those pockets.
The current rain warnings from the IMD cover the most critical days ahead, stretching from June 20 to 25. City officials and villagers alike are bracing for the storms—clearing drains, checking power lines, and keeping an eye on rising river levels. For now, at least, the arrival of the monsoon signals a welcome shift: cooler air, dark clouds rolling in on the horizon, and the first heavy showers soaking the parched ground. Uttar Pradesh’s long, hot wait for rain is finally over, and the next few days will put the state’s readiness to the test.