India's Two Extremes at Once: Heatwave in the North, Monsoon Arrives in Kerala

The facts

• 1India's southwest monsoon made landfall in Kerala around the first week of June 2026, right on its usual schedule — the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issues an Orange Alert when heavy rain is expected to cause disruption.
• 2A heatwave is officially declared by the IMD when plains temperatures cross 40°C and are at least 4.5°C above the normal range for that date and place.
• 3While Kerala received intense rain from the arriving monsoon, states like Rajasthan, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh recorded temperatures above 44°C — heatwave conditions that can cause heat exhaustion and strain on water supply.
• 4The reason both extremes happen at once is the size of India itself: the monsoon enters from the south and moves northward over roughly six to eight weeks, so the north waits while the south gets soaked.
• 5The IMD advises people in heatwave zones to avoid being outside between 12 noon and 3 pm, drink water regularly, and watch for signs of heat stroke — a core public safety step that saves lives every summer.