While monsoon rains have already made a premature entry into several parts of India, South Bengal continues to wait for its share of seasonal showers.
Weather scientists anticipate thunderstorms and isolated rain over Gangetic West Bengal from Wednesday to Thursday, which could potentially pave the way for the full arrival of the southwest monsoon in southern parts of the state. Traditionally, the monsoon enters India around 1 June. This year, however, the southwest monsoon winds advanced nearly 10 days early, bringing heavy rainfall in Kerala, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The early surge significantly pulled down May’s average temperature across the country. According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, May 2025 was India’s coolest since 1933. But momentum was lost soon after.
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Despite north Bengal officially getting the monsoon season on 29 May again, a full 10 days ahead of schedule, the advance has since stalled, with little progress into south Bengal. Meteorologists at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) have yet to announce a definitive monsoon entry date for southern West Bengal. However, forecasts suggest that widespread thunderstorm activity over Gangetic West Bengal mid-week may mark the turning point. “The period from Thursday, 12 June, will be crucial for much of eastern and southern India,” say experts. The Arabian Sea branch of the southwest monsoon has yet to advance beyond Maharashtra, while the Bay of Bengal branch remains stuck over Sikkim and north Bengal.
Despite the monsoon being officially “in” across India, large swathes of the northwest—including Rajasthan and Punjab—are still reeling under heatwave conditions. On Monday, Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan recorded a scorching 47.4°C. Without rain in central India, there’s unlikely to be any meaningful relief in these regions. For Bengal, however, optimism remains. The IMD has issued rainfall forecasts for at least 70 per cent of weather stations across south Bengal over the next six days. Alongside the showers, authorities have also warned of thunderstorms with frequent lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40–50 km/h. As the wait continues for a full-fledged monsoon onset in South Bengal, experts urge caution during this transition period—typically marked by intense lightning activity and sudden squalls.