Southwest monsoon withdraws from entire country: IMD

New Delhi, Oct 16 (PTI) The southwest monsoon withdrew from the entire country on Thursday, a day after the usual date of October 15, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

At the same time, the northeast monsoon has set in over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, south interior Karnataka and Kerala-Mahe, the IMD said.

This year, the monsoon reached Kerala on May 24, its earliest onset over the Indian mainland since 2009, when it arrived on May 23.

It covered the entire country nine days before the usual date of July 8. This was the earliest the monsoon has covered the entire country since 2020 when it did so by June 26.

The primary rain-bearing system usually makes its onset over Kerala by June 1 and covers the entire country by July 8. It starts retreating from northwest India around September 17 and withdraws completely by October 15.

India recorded 937.2 mm of rainfall against the normal of 868.6 mm, a surplus of 8 per cent, in the entire four-month monsoon season that ended on September 30.

Earlier this month, the IMD said that most regions in India, barring some areas in the northwest, are expected to receive above-normal rainfall during the post-monsoon season from October to December.

IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said 15 per cent more rainfall than normal is expected in October following bountiful rains in the June-September monsoon season.

East and northeast India recorded 1,089.9 mm of rainfall, 20 per cent below the normal of 1,367.3 mm.

"Rainfall over east and northeast India this monsoon season was the second lowest since 1901. The lowest rainfall (1,065.7 mm) in the monsoon season in the region was recorded in 2013," the IMD Director General said.

Northwest India received 747.9 mm, 27.3 per cent more than the normal of 587.6 mm. This was the highest since 2001 and the sixth highest since 1901.

All districts in northwest India recorded above-normal rainfall in June, August and September, Mohapatra said.

Punjab suffered its worst flooding in decades, with swollen rivers and breached canals inundating thousands of hectares of farmland and displacing lakhs of people.

In the Himalayan states, cloudbursts and flash floods triggered landslides and caused widespread damage. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand reported washed-out bridges and roads, while Jammu and Kashmir witnessed repeated cloudbursts and landslides.

The IMD attributed the surplus rain to active monsoon conditions supported by frequent western disturbances that enhanced rainfall over the region.

Central India recorded 1,125.3 mm of rainfall, 15.1 per cent higher than the normal of 978 mm, while the southern peninsula gauged 9.9 per cent more rainfall than the normal of 716.2 mm.

India gauged 8.9 per cent more rainfall than normal in June, 4.8 per cent surplus in July, 5.2 per cent excess in August and 15.3 per cent above normal in September.

The 2025 monsoon season saw 18 low-pressure systems and 69 low-pressure system days against an average of 13 and low-pressure systems and 55 such days.

The monsoon is crucial for India's agriculture sector, which supports the livelihood of around 42 per cent of the population and contributes 18.2 per cent to the GDP.

It also plays a key role in replenishing reservoirs essential for drinking water and power generation. PTI GVS GVS RUK RUK