Monsoon withdrawal to begin in next two days: IMD

After a late spurt in rainfall, the southwest monsoon is all set to enter the withdrawal phase over the next two days, the weather office said on Monday.

"Conditions are becoming favourable for withdrawal of southwest monsoon from parts of north-west India and Kutch during the next two days," the India Meteorological Department said.

According to the weather office, India had received 7 per cent excess rains, but eight states, including the rice bowl states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, received deficient rainfall which could lead to lower farm output this kharif season. Jharkhand, Delhi, Punjab, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur are the other states that have recorded deficit rainfall.

The southwest monsoon season begins on June 1 and continues till September 30. India received 872.7 mm of rainfall between June 1 and September 19, which was 7 per cent higher than the normal rainfall of 817.2 mm for the period under review. "Due to the anti-cyclonic flow over north-west India at lower tropospheric levels, dry weather is very likely over west Rajasthan, Punjab and adjoining areas of Haryana during the next five days," the weather office said.