New Delhi: Monsoon may start retreating by September 25 says India Meteorological Department

New Delhi : The southwest monsoon is likely to begin its retreat from northwest India around September 25, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday.

Typically, the southwest monsoon 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, withdrawing entirely by October 15. “Reduced rainfall activity is expected to continue over northwest and adjoining west-central India for the next five days. Conditions are becoming favourable for the southwest monsoon to withdraw from parts of west Rajasthan around September 25,” the IMD said.

The withdrawal of the monsoon from northwest India marks the beginning of its retreat from the Indian subcontinent. Any delay in the monsoon’s retreat means a longer rainy season, which can significantly impact agricultural production, particularly for northwest India where monsoon rainfall plays a crucial role in the Rabi crop production. India has received 780.3 mm of rain during this monsoon season so far, compared to a normal of 832.4 mm.

Rainfall between 94 per cent and 106 per cent of the long-period average (LPA) is considered normal. Normally, the country receives an average of 870 mm of precipitation during the four-month monsoon season (June to September). In a pre-monsoon briefing, the IMD had predicted a normal monsoon for India, albeit on the lower side of normal. It had, however, cautioned that El Nino -- warming of waters in the Pacific Ocean near South America -- might influence the latter half of the southwest monsoon.