Monsoon likely to start withdrawing in first week of September: IMD

The weather service predicted Thursday that the Southwest monsoon would begin its withdrawal phase in the first week of September, roughly two weeks earlier than usual. The southwest monsoon typically ends on September 17. Given the unpredictable nature of meteorological systems, the actual retreat of the southwest monsoon may occur earlier or later than predicted.

"Conditions are likely to become favourable for the commencement of withdrawal of southwest monsoon from some parts of northwest India during the week beginning September 1," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in the extended range forecast released on Thursday.

Monsoon rains were 9% over normal for the country as a whole, but Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Manipur experienced deficit rainfall of over 40% of the long term average, leaving farmers in the lurch. Uttar Pradesh and Manipur have seen 44% less rain than average, followed by Bihar (41%), Delhi (28%), Tripura, and Jharkhand (26 per cent each).


As of August 18, farmers have sown rice on 343.7 million hectares, 30.92 million more than last year but 53.36 million less than typical. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh, the country's rice bowl, have less rice sown.

The sowing of pulses, particularly arhar or tur, and groundnut too has declined due to the truant rains.

For the weather office, the monsoon season begins on June 1 and ends on September 30.

Last year, monsoon entered the withdrawal phase on October 6, a good 19 days after the normal date of September 17.

According to IMD data, the monsoon withdrawal started on September 28 in 2020, on October 9 in 2019, September 29 in 2018, September 27 in 2017 and September 15 in 2016.