The India Meteorological Department's has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rain in five districts for the next 24 hours.

The southwest monsoon entered parts of Rajasthan on Thursday, seven days later than its normal onset date, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The monsoon has advanced into eastern parts of the state, with its northern limit currently passing through Tonk, Jaipur and Alwar, according to the Meteorological Centre here.

The IMD said the southwest monsoon on Wednesday advanced into additional parts of Gujarat, the remaining parts of Uttar Pradesh, the entire Delhi region, most parts of Madhya Pradesh, large parts of Haryana and Punjab, and parts of Rajasthan.

The weather office said conditions are favourable for the monsoon to advance into more parts of Rajasthan over the next two to three days.

Continuous monsoon rains lashed several parts of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, bringing a sharp fall in daytime temperatures and prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over the next few days.

According to the morning weather bulletin issued by the Meteorological Centre, Shimla, southwest monsoon conditions remain favourable for further advancement over adjoining northern states, while an active weather system is expected to keep rainfall activity vigorous across Himachal Pradesh through the first week of July.

The India Meteorological Department, or IMD, said it is for the first time since 2021 that monsoon has arrived in July.

Mumbai witnessed relentless rainfall over the past 24 hours, with the eastern suburbs recording the highest precipitation, leading to widespread waterlogging and disruptions across several parts of the city.

Among the worst-hit locations in the eastern suburbs, Mitha Municipal School in Mulund recorded the highest rainfall at 218.6 mm, followed by the S Ward Office with 212 mm. Paspoli Municipal School in Powai received 208.4 mm, while Gavanpada Fire Station and Mankhurd Fire Station recorded 205.8 mm and 200 mm, respectively.

The weather office has issued an Orange alert for Mumbai, Thane, and Raigad, warning of moderate to intense spells of rain at isolated locations over the next three hours.

Monsoon arrives in Delhi, Says India Meteorological Department

Mumbai woke up to another rain-soaked morning on Thursday as heavy showers inundated low-lying areas, slowing road and rail traffic and showing little sign of easing, with the IMD forecasting more rainfall through the day.

Several areas logged more than 200 mm of rainfall over the last 24 hours, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Heavy rain since early Thursday morning led to waterlogging in prime areas such as Dadar, Parel, Hindmata, Charkop, Worli, Goregaon and Andheri, causing inconvenience to commuters and slowing vehicular traffic.

Raigad schools will remain closed on July 2 due to heavy rainfall. The holiday applies to Panvel, Uran, and other areas as IMD forecasts heavy rain.

The India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Bhopal centre has predicted widespread very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching 40 to 50 kilometre per hour across Madhya Pradesh during the next five days starting from Wednesday, officials said.

The weather system is driven by the advancing Southwest monsoon, a seasonal trough, and an active Western disturbance currently influencing the region.

According to the Bhopal centre, significant rainfall was already recorded in several areas on July 1, with Khargone receiving 115 millimetres, Ashta 109 millimetres, Pachmarhi 88.4 millimetres, and other places like Birsinghpur, Satwas, and Balaghat also reporting substantial downpours.

The Southwest Monsoon reached all parts of Uttarakhand on Wednesday, even as the meteorological department has issued an 'Orange' alert, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in five districts, including Dehradun, for Thursday.

According to the Dehradun Meteorological Centre, the monsoon had knocked on the doors of most parts of the state on Tuesday, and by Wednesday, it had covered all parts of the state.

Several areas of the state witnessed rainfall on Wednesday. According to the weather centre, Dehradun recorded 56 mm of rain, Jolly Grant 52.5 mm, Laksar 49 mm, Mussoorie 43 mm, Rudraprayag 32.5 mm, Haldwani 29.5 mm, Pauri 28.5 mm, Bhimtal 25 mm, Kirtinagar 23.5 mm, and Khanpur recorded 23 mm of rain.

In view of the monsoon season, Dehradun District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan has banned all mining activities in rivers until September 30 and directed officials to verify that no stone crushers operate and no mining takes place in their respective areas.

In a review meeting held via video conference, Chauhan instructed all sub-divisional magistrates that any form of mining activity in the rivers will remain completely banned from July 1 to September 30.

He warned that if any vehicle is found transporting minerals during this period, strict legal action will be initiated, and the vehicle will be seized.