Southwest monsoon is likely to withdraw by October 26: IMD

India’s southwest monsoon rains are likely to finish withdrawing from the country by October 26, according to the weather office, marking one of the most delayed retreats of the vital weather system on record.

The June-September rains usually withdraw by October 15, but this year the weather pattern saw multiple break phases followed by a surge in rainfall, which pushed the withdrawal timeline and also gave the country its third consecutive year of normal monsoon.

"With likely setting in of north-easterly winds in the lower tropospheric levels over Bay of Bengal and extreme south peninsular India, the southwest monsoon is likely to withdraw from the entire country around October 26," said the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in a statement.


October 26 is likely to be the fourth-most delayed withdrawal since the weather bureau officially started keeping a record of the date in 1975. It was October 29 in 2010, October 28 in 2020 and 2016, and October 27 in 2000 and 1975.

The monsoon has already withdrawn from over two-thirds of the entire subcontinent after starting its exit on October 6. Currently, only parts of northeast India and southern peninsular states are left covered.

Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka will continue to receive rainfall till next week, the IMD said in its forecast.

Officially, the uneven monsoon season came to an end on September 30.

After lagging for much of the season, monsoon revival in September brought relief to policymakers and manufacturers of goods as good monsoon rains help increase the income of farmers, thereby boosting demand for consumer goods, gold, cars, motorcycles, tractors, farm equipment and inputs such as pesticides, fertilisers and seeds.