After arriving nine days behind its normal schedule, the southwest monsoon has officially entered Madhya Pradesh, bringing widespread rainfall to several districts and raising hopes of relief from prolonged heat conditions across the state.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed the monsoon’s arrival in 15 districts located in the southern and southeastern parts of the state. Officials said the weather system is expected to cover the remaining regions of Madhya Pradesh within the next two to three days.

Rainfall activity intensified across several districts on Wednesday, with showers reported from Neemuch, Barwani, Raisen, Bhopal, Indore, Ratlam, Sehore and other areas. Weather experts attributed the official declaration of monsoon onset to consistent rainfall in border districts and the arrival of moisture-laden southwesterly winds.

According to the weather department, thunderstorms and rain are likely in 46 districts on Thursday. While many parts of the state are expected to receive relief from rising temperatures, heatwave conditions may continue in Sidhi. Residents of Neemuch, Mandsaur, Gwalior, Sheopur, Morena, Bhind, Rewa and Singrauli may continue to experience humid weather conditions.

The districts where the monsoon has officially arrived include Alirajpur, Indore, Harda, Dhar, Betul, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Chhindwara, Pandhurna, Khargone, Seoni, Balaghat, Mandla, Barwani and Dindori.

Meteorologists said Chhindwara recorded nearly 75 mm of rainfall during the last 24 hours, one of the key indicators considered while assessing monsoon advancement. The presence of sustained rainfall and favourable wind patterns helped establish that monsoon conditions had become active over the region.

Normally, the monsoon reaches Madhya Pradesh around June 15. This year, however, it entered on June 24, making it nine days late. Weather officials noted that monsoon onset is not declared solely on the basis of rainfall but also depends on atmospheric conditions, moisture content and the movement of monsoon winds.

Despite the arrival of the rainy season, rainfall figures for June remain below normal. Data available up to June 24 shows that the state has received around 42 mm of rainfall against the normal average of 84.8 mm. This represents a deficit of nearly 50 percent.

A majority of districts, including Indore, Ujjain, Gwalior, Jabalpur and several others, have recorded below-normal rainfall so far this season. Only a handful of districts, including Bhopal, Ashoknagar, Agar Malwa, Guna, Mandsaur, Neemuch and Sheopur, have reported rainfall above seasonal averages.

The delayed arrival of the monsoon has raised concerns regarding overall seasonal precipitation. Forecasts suggest that a large part of Madhya Pradesh could receive below-normal rainfall this year. The IMD has indicated that around 47 districts, including Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur, may receive less rain than usual during the monsoon season.

The state’s average annual monsoon rainfall is around 37.3 inches. However, current projections estimate total rainfall between 30 and 32 inches in many areas this year.

Meanwhile, weather conditions changed dramatically across several cities on Wednesday. Heavy showers lashed parts of Bhopal and Indore, while Barwani witnessed hours of continuous rainfall. Strong winds were reported in Sehore, and light to moderate rain occurred in Ratlam and Neemuch districts.

Meteorologists expect rainfall activity to intensify further over the next few days as the monsoon advances northward. The Gwalior-Chambal region is likely to be the last part of the state to come under full monsoon coverage.