The southwest monsoon in India has started its withdrawal, beginning from western Rajasthan and Kutch. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced that this process commenced on September 23, 2024, which is slightly later than the normal withdrawal date of September 17. Conditions are favorable for the monsoon to withdraw further from more parts of western Rajasthan and adjoining areas of Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat within the next 24 hours.
Despite the withdrawal, the IMD has predicted widespread rains across several regions in the coming week. The country has experienced five percent excess rainfall this season, with a total of 880.8 mm recorded between June 1 and September 23, compared to the normal of 837.7 mm. While most regions received normal to excess rainfall, five out of 36 meteorological subdivisions, including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, and Punjab, reported deficient rainfall.
Notably, nine subdivisions have recorded significant excess rainfall, particularly in Rajasthan (74%), Gujarat (68%), Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and coastal Andhra Pradesh. The IMD also forecasts the formation of a low-pressure area over the west-central Bay of Bengal on Tuesday, which could lead to additional rainfall along the eastern coast. Expect fairly widespread rains with very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in coastal and north Interior Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, and various regions in central, eastern, and northeastern India during the upcoming week.
