After a fortnight’s delay, the Southwest monsoon Friday withdrew from the entire northwest India region. Between October 1 and 13, this region recorded 58.3 mm rain, which was 366 per cent above normal.
The persistent presence of a cyclonic circulation, which formed over north Maharashtra on October 7 and moved along south Gujarat, northeast Rajasthan, southern Haryana and Punjab, led to a five-day-long rainfall spell over northwest India and Delhi-NCR.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said that the monsoon has now withdrawn from the entire Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat along with most areas of Madhya Pradesh and some areas of Bihar and Maharashtra. The normal date for the monsoon to start withdrawing from Maharashtra and Bihar is October 5. Except for Maharashtra and Bihar, all of these states have recorded heavy rainfall during the October 6-12 period, IMD officials said.
The monsoon withdrawal line now passes through Raxaul, Daltonganj, Pendra road, Chhindwara, Jalgaon and Dahanu.
In the coming days, the withdrawal is expected to pick up pace and spread to more areas of central India regions, the Met department said.
“Conditions are very likely to become favourable for the further withdrawal of the Southwest monsoon from more parts of Maharashtra, central, east and northeastern India during the next three days,” IMD’s weather bulletin on the monsoon withdrawal, issued Friday afternoon, said.
Meanwhile, enhanced rainfall activity over southern peninsular India will commence from Friday in view of two active cyclonic circulations — over west-central Bay of Bengal, near Comorin region. Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala, Mahe, Telangana, coastal Andhra Pradesh, coastal Karnataka, Lakshadweep and Rayalaseema will experience widespread heavy rainfall till October 17.
