The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday announced the onset of the southwest monsoon’s retreat, with withdrawal commencing from parts of western Rajasthan. The process has begun three days ahead of its normal date of September 17, marking the earliest withdrawal since 2020 under the revised monitoring system.
What's the usual monsoon withdrawal date?
According to the IMD, this is the earliest withdrawal since 2015 if assessed under the previous regime, when the normal withdrawal date was September 1.
Under the revised system, based on rainfall data from 1971 to 2019, the withdrawal normally begins on September 17. The withdrawal process usually ends by October 15, shortly before the onset of the northeast monsoon over peninsular India.
How the monsoon withdrawal will expand in coming days?
The Met office stated that conditions are favourable for the monsoon’s retreat to spread further over more parts of Rajasthan and into Punjab and Gujarat, within the next two to three days.
While withdrawal has begun in the northwest, the IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall over the north-eastern states and Maharashtra during the next three days.
Monsoon 2025: Early onset, early retreat
This year’s monsoon made an early arrival, setting in over Kerala on May 30, two days ahead of schedule and covering the entire country by June 29, in just 37 days. Normally, the process takes 38 days, from June 1 to July 8.
Officials were cited by TOI as saying that early onset or withdrawal does not directly determine the overall performance of the monsoon. However, the timing of arrival and retreat has a significant bearing on agriculture, irrigation planning and hydropower management.
Monsoon impact on agriculture and water
Farmers benefitted from the early onset, which allowed timely sowing of kharif crops. The early withdrawal, however, is unlikely to affect crop acreage since sowing has been completed in most regions.
Reservoirs across the country are adequately stocked to support the upcoming rabi crop cycle from October to March, TOI reported.
Above-normal rainfall during monsoon 2025
The IMD has projected an above-normal monsoon for 2024. Data up to September 14 shows that the country received 7% more rainfall than the long-period average.
Regional variations were stark during 2025 rainy season
* Northwest India recorded nearly 32% above-normal rainfall, leading to flooding and crop losses in states such as Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir.
* Central India received 10.5% more rainfall than normal.
* South peninsular India saw 7.5% excess rainfall.
* East and northeast India, however, faced a 20% deficit.
Boost in acreage
The favourable rainfall pattern has led to an expansion in kharif acreage, which stands at 1,105 lakh hectares - higher than last year’s 1,078 lakh hectares and also above the average of 1,096 lakh hectares, according to TOI.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
