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The normal date of the Southwest monsoon onset in Delhi is June 27 (1961-2019), the India Meteorological Department says. However, monsoon showers in the national capital are likely to be delayed this year.When will monsoon reach Delhi? Expert says monsoon progress is ‘slowing down’ because...(Raju Shinde)Delhi is witnessing light to moderate rainfall even as it awaits a robust monsoon spell. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday that the Southwest Monsoon is likely to advance in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh in the next two to three days. But when can we expect monsoon showers in Delhi?The normal date of the Southwest monsoon onset in Delhi is June 27 (1961-2019), the India Meteorological Department says. Last year, the monsoon arrived late in Delhi. It made its onset over the national capital on June 29, 2025. Monsoon withdrew from Delhi on September 24, 2025, against its normal date of withdrawal on September 25.This year, meteorologists predict a delayed monsoon in Delhi. Mahesh Palawat, vice-president at Skymet Weather, told PTI that the monsoon is likely to reach Delhi during the first week of July rather than June 27.Meanwhile, an IMD official was quoted as saying, "Monsoon generally reaches Delhi by around June 28, but this year it will be delayed. We do not know exactly when it will reach."Why is monsoon progress slowing down?The arrival of SouthWest Monsoon is prolonging by each day. SkyMet claimed that no major monsoon system has formed over the Bay of Bengal yet, "keeping monsoon advancement sluggish across many parts of India.""Active typhoons Mekkhala and Higos over the western Pacific are disrupting favourable weather patterns," the weather agency wrote in a post on X.Meanwhile, Palawat of Skymet explained the weather pattern behind the delay. He said the delay was due to the absence of the crucial Bay of Bengal weather system that typically helps propel rain-bearing winds towards northwest India.A low-pressure area normally develops over the Bay of Bengal around June 18-19 and helps pull moisture-laden winds from the Arabian Sea towards the Indian mainland, meteorologists said."The system then moves across Odisha, Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh before advancing into northwest India, including Delhi. This creates a favourable anti-clockwise cyclonic circulation pattern that helps the monsoon progress further inland," they told PTI.Palawat said, "We expect a favourable system to develop over the Bay of Bengal around June 25-26, after which the monsoon is likely to reach Delhi during the first week of July rather than June 27, which is the expected onset."Monsoon in Delhi: Tracking the patterIn 2020, the southwest monsoon reached Delhi on June 25 and covered the entire country a day later on June 26.In 2021, the monsoon's advance over Delhi was delayed until July 13, the same day it covered the entire country.In 2022, the monsoon arrived in Delhi on June 30, and covered the whole country by July 2.In 2023, it reached the national capital on June 25 and completed its advance over the country on July 2.In 2024, the monsoon advanced over Delhi on June 28, while the entire country came under its coverage on July 2.Last year, the monsoon reached Delhi on June 29 and simultaneously covered the entire country on the same day.The data show that, except for 2021, the southwest monsoon has generally reached Delhi between June 25 and June 30 over the last five years.Stay updated with the latest Trending,