New Delhi: The southwest monsoon is set to start withdrawing from northwest India around September 15, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday.
The annual rain-bearing system usually reaches Kerala by June 1, covering the entire country by July 8, and begins retreating from northwest India around September 17 before a complete withdrawal by October 15. This year, the monsoon advanced faster than normal, covering the entire nation nine days early, by June 29—the earliest since 2020, when it spanned India by June 26.
The 2024 season also saw the monsoon arrive in Kerala on May 24, the earliest onset since 2009. So far, India has received 836.2 mm of rainfall against the normal 778.6 mm, marking a 7 per cent surplus.
The IMD had earlier forecast that the country would receive 106 per cent of the long-period average rainfall of 87 cm during the June–September season. Rainfall between 96 and 104 per cent of this 50-year average is considered normal.
The monsoon remains critical for India’s agriculture, which supports nearly 42 per cent of the population and contributes 18.2 per cent to the GDP. It also plays a vital role in replenishing reservoirs that provide drinking water and aid power generation.
