Southwest Monsoon Likely to Begin Retreat from Northwest India Around September 15: IMD
New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday stated that the southwest monsoon is expected to start withdrawing from northwest India around September 15.
Typically, the monsoon reaches Kerala by June 1 and spreads across the entire country by July 8. It normally begins retreating from northwest India around September 17, with complete withdrawal by October 15.
“Conditions are becoming favourable for the withdrawal of the Southwest Monsoon from parts of west Rajasthan around September 15,” the IMD said in a statement.
This year, the monsoon covered the country nine days earlier than the usual date of July 8, marking the earliest nationwide coverage since 2020, when it arrived by June 26. It reached Kerala on May 24, the earliest onset on the mainland since 2009, when it arrived on May 23.
So far, India has received 836.2 mm of rainfall during the monsoon season, compared with the normal 778.6 mm—a surplus of 7 per cent. In May, the IMD had forecast 106 per cent of the long-period average rainfall of 87 cm for the June–September season. Rainfall ranging from 96 to 104 per cent of this 50-year average is considered ‘normal’.
The monsoon is vital for India’s agriculture sector, which supports the livelihoods of around 42 per cent of the population and contributes 18.2 per cent to the GDP. It also plays a critical role in replenishing reservoirs, essential for drinking water and power generation.
