The southwest monsoon is likely to start withdrawing from northwest Rajasthan and its neighbourhood early next week, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday.
“Conditions are becoming favourable for the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from some parts of west Rajasthan from around September 15,” the IMD said.
The normal date for monsoon withdrawal to commence from this region is September 17. If realised next week, the monsoon retreat will be a timely one.
In the season so far, the all-India rainfall recorded was 836.2mm, which was a 7 per cent surplus.
The southwest monsoon, this year, had arrived ahead of schedule on May 24 over Kerala and made an early advance into peninsular India. The all-India rainfall recorded during June, July and August remained above normal, and IMD officials had said that the season was likely to end with above normal rainfall.
Over northwest India, the Met department has warned of thunderstorms and heavy rain over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on Sunday and Monday, with ‘very heavy’ rainfall over Uttarakhand on Saturday and Sunday.