The southwest monsoon Tuesday withdrew from parts of southwest Rajasthan and Kutch, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Since 2020, the normal date considered for the start of the monsoon withdrawal is September 17. It is for the first time since 2016 when the monsoon has withdrawn in the third week of September (see box), the IMD added.
Monsoon withdrawal over India from 2012 to 2021. (Source: IMD)
Normally, the southwest monsoon withdrawal progresses for a month and concludes by October 15.
The IMD said that all necessary meteorological criteria for the monsoon retreat – formation of an anticyclone, cessation of rainfall since the last five days, dry weather conditions – were met.
As on Tuesday, the monsoon withdrawal line passed through Khajuwala, Bikaner, Jodhpur and Naliya, the IMD said.
