Chittorgarh pre-monsoon rainfall hits 88 mm, breaks 3-year June record
Synopsis
Chittorgarh has seen more rain in the first half of June 2026 than it did in all of June 2025 — and the monsoon hasn't even arrived yet. But IMD's warning that El Niño could cap the season at 90% of the long-term average means this record-breaking start may not translate into a surplus year.
Key Takeaways
Chittorgarh received 88 mm of rainfall in the first 15 days of June 2026 , surpassing the same-period totals for each of the past three years.
The figure exceeds the entire June 2025 total of 75 mm and nearly matches June 2024's full-month 91.2 mm .
The IMD expects the southwest monsoon to reach Chittorgarh and the Mewar region between 22–25 June 2026 .
IMD Jaipur director Dr R.S.
Sharma warned that active El Niño conditions could reduce core monsoon rainfall, with the season potentially ending at 90% of the long-term average .
The only recent June with higher rainfall was 2023 , when Cyclone Biparjoy caused abnormally heavy showers — an extraordinary event rather than a seasonal norm.
Chittorgarh district in Rajasthan has recorded 88 mm of pre-monsoon rainfall in the first 15 days of June 2026 — surpassing the totals logged during the same period over each of the past three years, and doing so before the southwest monsoon has even officially arrived in the state. The figures, drawn from India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, mark an unusually strong start to the wet season for the Mewar region.
How This Year Compares
The 88 mm recorded in just the first half of June has already exceeded the entire June 2025 total of 75 mm, and nearly matches June 2024's full-month figure of 91.2 mm. The only recent benchmark it falls short of is June 2023, when Cyclone Biparjoy drove exceptionally heavy showers across the region — a meteorologically exceptional event, not a typical monsoon baseline. Weather experts describe this year's pre-monsoon activity as highly unusual for a normal season.
When the Monsoon Is Expected
According to the IMD, the southwest monsoon is on track to reach Chittorgarh and the broader Mewar region between 22 June and 25 June 2026. The monsoon has already touched the Kerala coast and is advancing steadily across peninsular and eastern India. If current weather patterns hold, June 2026 could rank among the wettest June months in recent memory for the district.
El Niño Shadow Over the Season
Despite the promising opening fortnight, meteorologists are urging caution. IMD Jaipur director Dr R.S. Sharma has warned that active El Niño conditions could suppress rainfall during the core monsoon months of July and August. The phenomenon — driven by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean — typically weakens southwest monsoon circulation over the subcontinent, producing longer dry spells and below-average seasonal totals.
As a result, Dr Sharma indicated, total monsoon precipitation for 2026 may settle around 90 per cent of the long-term average, placing the season in the below-normal category even as Chittorgarh's June numbers look exceptional. This comes amid a broader national pattern where pre-monsoon activity has been stronger than forecast in several districts, yet seasonal outlooks remain cautious because of El Niño's delayed but persistent influence.
What It Means for Chittorgarh
The record pre-monsoon rainfall has defied expectations that followed the punishing heat of the Nautapa period, when prolonged dry heat typically signals a sluggish monsoon onset. Farmers and water managers in the district will be watching closely: a strong June can replenish reservoirs ahead of the kharif sowing window, but an El Niño-weakened July and August could still leave the season net-deficient. The next few weeks of IMD updates will be critical in determining whether this early burst translates into a genuinely above-normal monsoon or proves to be a front-loaded outlier.
Point of View
But the real story is the tension between a record-breaking pre-monsoon burst and an El Niño-constrained seasonal outlook. Pre-monsoon spikes can be misleading signals — 2023's Biparjoy-inflated June was followed by an uneven kharif season in parts of Rajasthan. The IMD's 90% long-term average projection deserves as much attention as the headline rainfall figure, because farmers making sowing decisions on the basis of a wet June could be caught short in August. Rajasthan's water managers should treat this as a buffer opportunity, not a green light.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How much pre-monsoon rainfall did Chittorgarh receive in June 2026?
Chittorgarh received 88 mm of rainfall in the first 15 days of June 2026, surpassing the same-period totals for each of the past three years. The figure already exceeds the district's entire June 2025 rainfall of 75 mm.
When will the monsoon reach Chittorgarh in 2026?
According to the IMD, the southwest monsoon is expected to arrive in Chittorgarh and the Mewar region between 22 June and 25 June 2026 . The monsoon has already reached the Kerala coast and is progressing northward.
Why is this year's pre-monsoon rainfall considered unusual?
Weather experts describe the current activity as highly unusual for a normal pre-monsoon season. The only comparable recent June was 2023, when Cyclone Biparjoy triggered exceptional showers — an extraordinary event rather than a typical pre-monsoon pattern.
What is El Niño and how could it affect Rajasthan's monsoon?
El Niño is a climate phenomenon driven by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. In India, it typically weakens southwest monsoon winds and reduces seasonal rainfall. IMD Jaipur director Dr R.S. Sharma has said it could limit 2026 monsoon totals to around 90% of the long-term average — placing the season in the below-normal category.
Could June 2026 become one of the wettest June months on record for Chittorgarh?
The IMD has indicated that if current weather patterns continue, June 2026 could emerge as one of the wettest June months in recent years for the district. However, meteorologists caution that the overall monsoon season may still be below normal due to El Niño conditions.
