Monsoon starts to withdraw from northwest India

The weather office expects the retreat to extend into Delhi-NCR in the next 2–3 days, even as cumulative rainfall remains 15% below normal.

New Delhi: The southwest monsoon has withdrawn further from parts of northwest India, marking the start of the four-month rainfall season's annual retreat, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.

The monsoon withdrew further from additional areas of Rajasthan, as well as parts of Haryana and Punjab, on 21 September. The weather office said conditions are favourable for its further withdrawal from the remaining parts of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh, and Delhi, more areas of Rajasthan, and parts of Saurashtra & Kutch, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and west Uttar Pradesh over the next 2-3 days.

The withdrawal of the southwest monsoon typically starts from western Rajasthan in September before gradually progressing across northwest and central India, and subsequently moving toward the southern peninsula and eastern regions. However, the pace of withdrawal depends on prevailing rainfall and atmospheric conditions.

The development is watched closely by policymakers and agricultural markets as the southwest monsoon contributes about 70% of India's annual rainfall and plays a crucial role in farm output, reservoir levels and rural economic activity.

The southwest monsoon has so far brought cumulative rainfall of 703.7 mm during 1 June-21 September, 15% below the normal of 827.2 mm.

Wet weather to continue in many states

Meanwhile, several parts of central and eastern India are likely to receive widespread rainfall over the coming week, while parts of north India, including Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, are also expected to see enhanced rainfall activity.

In northwest India, isolated to scattered rainfall is likely over Uttarakhand during 22-25 September, followed by fairly widespread to widespread rainfall on 26-27 September, Jammu & Kashmir-Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh are likely to receive isolated to scattered rain during 24-27 September. Uttar Pradesh is expected to see increased rainfall activity later this week. Punjab and Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi are likely to receive isolated to scattered rainfall on 26-27 September.

In central India, west Madhya Pradesh is likely to receive isolated to scattered rainfall throughout 22-27 September. Rainfall is expected to intensify over east Madhya Pradesh, with fairly widespread to widespread rain forecast during 23-27 September. Vidarbha is likely to see widespread rainfall during 22-27 September, while Chhattisgarh is expected to receive fairly widespread to widespread rainfall over 22-27 September.

East India is also likely to remain wet. Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is forecast over Jharkhand and Odisha during 22-27 September, while Gangetic West Bengal is likely to receive such rainfall during 22-27 September.

In the south peninsula, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is likely over coastal Karnataka, Kerala and Mahe and north interior Karnataka during 22-25 September. Telangana is likely to see widespread rainfall during 22-26 September, while south interior Karnataka is expected to receive such rainfall during 22-24 September.

About the Author

Vijay C. Roy is a journalist with over 21 years of experience covering various news beats across different organisations such as Business Standard and The Tribune. In the past, he has covered beats such as finance, auto, MSME, commodities, FMCG, pharmaceutical, agriculture, IT/ITES, infrastructure and start-ups. He joined Mint in February 2025, and covers agriculture, food processing, fertilizers, environment and climate change, bringing over two decades of experience reporting on farm policy, food inflation, crop trade, and rural livelihoods.<br><br>Vijay’s areas of reporting include food security and climate change policies, focusing on their impact on different stakeholders and their implications. His expertise lies in simplifying complex agri-economic issues such as edible oil import dependence, cotton and wheat trends, fertiliser subsidies, and climate-related risks. He has covered key developments including global supply disruptions and evolving trade policies, offering both macroeconomic perspective and field-level context. Known for his credible and balanced reporting, he follows a rigorous, fact-based approach that prioritises accuracy and context. He is driven by a commitment to public interest, aiming to make critical agricultural and economic issues accessible while contributing to informed policy and industry discussions.