Bhopal | The monsoon arrived in southwest Madhya Pradesh on Monday, aligning with its normal schedule and bringing much-needed relief from the heat and humidity that had gripped several districts over the past week.

Rains were reported in Barwani, Khargone, southern parts of Khandwa, and Burhanpur districts, Divya E. Surendran, forecast in-charge at the IMD's Bhopal Centre, told PTI.

Surendran noted that after touching the southwestern parts of the state, the monsoon is expected to remain active across most regions throughout the week.

However, she cautioned that it is difficult to accurately predict when the monsoon will cover the entire state.

A meteorologist from the IMD office said that while the normal onset date for the monsoon in Madhya Pradesh is June 16, the current pace of its advancement suggests that it could envelop the entire state by June 25.

The southwest monsoon had initially reached Kerala on May 24, marking its earliest arrival over the Indian mainland since 2009. However, its progress stalled briefly before regaining momentum.

In contrast, the monsoon arrived in Madhya Pradesh on June 21 last year. In 2023, it reached the state on June 24 and covered the entire region by the following day.