The southwest monsoon has picked up pace across eastern and northeastern India, bringing relentless rain to several states in the region. While many parts of the country are still waiting for normal monsoon showers and dealing with rainfall shortages, the Northeast is seeing the exact opposite situation, with heavy to extremely heavy rain raising fears of floods, landslides and travel disruptions.
Heavy rain batters the Northeast as other regions await stronger monsoon showers
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is likely across Northeast India until at least June 25. Assam and Meghalaya are expected to receive the most intense rainfall, with some places likely to witness extremely heavy downpours.
Heavy rain has also been forecast for Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. Meanwhile, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim remain under weather watch until June 22.
Over the past few days, many parts of the region have already been battered by strong spells of rain. Thunderstorms, lightning and cold winds reaching speeds of 40 to 50 kmph have accompanied the showers. These conditions have increased the risk of waterlogging in towns and cities, flash floods in low-lying areas and landslides in hilly regions. Road and railway services may also face disruptions as the weather system remains active.
Authorities are closely monitoring river levels, especially the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, fearing that the constantly rising water levels could trigger flooding in vulnerable areas.
More rain is expected across northern states
Intense rainfall prediction is not limited to the Northeast. According to the IMD, widespread rainfall is expected over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan and Muzaffarabad on Monday. After that, scattered rainfall is likely to continue in these regions between June 23 and June 28.
Similar weather conditions are expected in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where rainfall is forecast from June 22 to June 28. The weather department has also forecast rainfall over Konkan and Goa. Isolated to scattered showers are expected on June 21 and June 22.
A very different picture from the rest of India
The situation in the Northeast stands in contrast to what is happening across much of the country.
India’s monsoon reached Kerala on June 4, later than usual, and rainfall remains below normal in several regions. Concerns have also grown over the impact of a developing El Niño, which can weaken monsoon activity.
Despite this, the Northeast is currently experiencing a strong and active monsoon phase as the Bay of Bengal branch of the monsoon gains strength. Seasonal forecasts still suggest the region could receive normal rainfall overall, between 94 and 106 per cent of its Long Period Average (LPA).
Last year was a completely different story
The weather pattern in 2025 could not have been more different. East and Northeast India recorded one of their weakest monsoon seasons in recent history.
The region received around 1,089.9 millimetres of rainfall, roughly 20 per cent below the Long Period Average. It was the second-lowest monsoon rainfall recorded in the region since 1901, with only 2013 performing worse. States including Assam and Meghalaya, as well as Arunachal Pradesh, recorded rainfall deficits.
While Northwest India, Central India and the South Peninsula enjoyed surplus rainfall that, the Northeast was left struggling with shortages. In some areas, dry conditions affected tea gardens, jhum cultivation and communities that depend heavily on rivers and seasonal rainfall.
Forecast remains positive, but risks remain
According to IMD’s seasonal outlook for 2026, the Northeast is expected to fare better than many other parts of the country, where below-normal rainfall is forecast.
However, weather experts warn that seasonal totals do not tell the whole story. Rainfall is arriving in short, intense bursts rather than being spread evenly across the season. Such extreme events can cause major damage even when overall rainfall remains within the normal range.
Factors such as cyclonic circulations over the Bay of Bengal, phases of the Madden-Julian Oscillation and the region’s unique terrain can all combine to produce very heavy rainfall episodes.
Monsoon advances across parts of India; Mumbai on orange alert as heavy rain likely
The southwest monsoon is also steadily moving across several parts of the country, bringing rain to states such as Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), many of these regions are expected to continue receiving rainfall over the next few days.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued an orange alert for Mumbai, warning residents about thunderstorms, lightning, moderate to intense rainfall and gusty winds over the next few hours.
The alert says isolated parts of the city could experience wind speeds of 30 to 40 kmph, along with heavy rain.