May 26, 2025 - Monsoon has arrived in Maharashtra…a day after it hit Kerala. This unexpected early arrival of the rains has taken the State by surprise and an Orange alert has been issued by the weather department for heavy rains and thunderstorms in the region today, including Mumbai, Thane, Ratnagiri, Nashik, Kolhapur and Raigad. Mumbai is currently lashed by heavy rains leading to huge traffic jams and delays in suburban trains because of low visibility.

It is the earliest onset of the southwest monsoon over Maharashtra in 75 years, whereas the last earliest arrival was on May 29, 1956, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). This year it has arrived early by more than 10 days. 

Meanwhile, a Red alert has been issued for 11 of the 14 districts in Kerala for today, May 26 where heavy rains have been wreaking havoc in the region.

"Conditions are favourable for further advance (of the monsoon) into some more parts of central Arabian Sea, more parts of Maharashtra including Mumbai, Karnataka including Bengaluru, some parts of Andhra Pradesh, remaining parts of Tamil Nadu, more parts of west-central and North Bay of Bengal and some more parts of North Eastern states during next three days," the IMD said.

With Media Inputs