Delhi vs Mumbai: How monsoon kept them on edge and which one got more rain

Delhi and Mumbai have had very different monsoons this year, and the rainfall numbers reveal a much more nuanced picture.Turns out, Mumbai is still far ahead when the entire monsoon season is considered.But over the past few weeks, Delhi has actually been wetter than Mumbai.It is a story of two cities where the monsoon peaked at very different times and has, so far, been treated much differently. A boy sits with an umbrella amid rain. (Photo: PTI) AN EARLY LEAD FOR MUMBAIThe southwest monsoon reached Kerala on June 4, three days after its normal arrival date of June 1, before advancing across the country.Mumbai got an early taste of the monsoon's strength as the city was particularly wet in July, when intense spells helped pushed its seasonal rainfall higher. According to rainfall figures shared by meteorologist Navdeep Dahiya, Mumbai's Santacruz observatory had recorded 2,224 mm of rain between June 1 and September 5. Visitors sit near the seafront at the Gateway of India in Mumbai. (Photo: AFP) Delhi's Safdarjung observatory, meanwhile, had recorded 691.2 mm during the same period.On the surface, the difference is obviously enormous. But it's not as simple. The rainfall totals need to be viewed against each city's respective seasonal normal.Santacruz's normal rainfall for the June-September monsoon season is around 2,390.5 mm, meaning that despite receiving more than 2,200 mm, Mumbai remained below its seasonal normal.The city's huge seasonal total was built largely during its intense spells earlier in the monsoon, particularly in July. It still wasn't enough to meet the seasonal expectations.DELHI MAKING A COMEBACK?It remains a widely known fact that Delhi's monsoon this year began much more slowly.The rainfall activity, however, picked up as the season progressed, with the capital seeing several spells of widespread rain in July and August.And the latest comparison provides a rather clearer picture. Vehicles are seen moving amid heavy rain. (Photo: PTI) According to Dahiya's rainfall comparison, Safdarjung recorded 391.4 mm of rain over the 36 days leading up to September 5, while Mumbai's Santacruz recorded 328 mm during the same period.That means Delhi received about 63 mm more rain than Mumbai over this recent 36-day stretch. This happened even though Mumbai's cumulative monsoon rainfall remains more than three times Delhi's.The recent shift coincided with weather systems favouring north India. A commuter travels in a bus during a heavy monsoon rain shower in New Delhi. (Photo: Reuters) The IMD's latest bulletin on September 5 showed the monsoon trough extending through a well-marked low-pressure area over northwest Madhya Pradesh and adjoining southwest Uttar Pradesh.The IMD also reported widespread rain over Delhi during the preceding 24 hours, while rain still continued throughout the day.So, while Mumbai accumulated a huge amount of rain earlier in the season, Delhi has had the more active recent spell.WHICH CITY SAW BETTER MONSOON RAINS?The answer to the question of which city experienced a better monsoon depends on which part of the season you look at.From June 1 to September 5, Mumbai is the clear winner in terms of absolute rainfall, receiving 2,224 mm at Santacruz versus 691.2 mm at Safdarjung, according to Dahiya's comparison.But the recent numbers tell a contrasting tale.Over the recent 36-day period, Delhi received 391.4 mm compared with Mumbai's 328 mm.That makes the comparison more nuanced than simply asking which city has had more rain.Mumbai's monsoon was front-loaded, with exceptionally heavy spells pushing up the seasonal total. Delhi took longer to get going, but its rainfall picked up considerably later in the season.The broader picture, however, remains concerning. (Source: IMD) India has continued to record a significant monsoon rainfall deficit, with the September outlook also pointing towards below-normal rainfall.As of September 4, India was staring at a 13% rainfall deficit, according to the official rainfall data by IMD.So, if the question is who has received more rain this monsoon, Mumbai wins comfortably.The monsoon, in other words, has not been a simple and straight race. But in the case of India's metropolitans, Mumbai surged ahead early, while Delhi has been making up ground late.- EndsPublished On: Sep 5, 2026 15:17 IST