Monsoon starts withdrawing from India, eight days after normal date

Monsoon started withdrawing from India on Monday, eight days after the normal date of September 17, the India Meteorological Department said.

"(The) southwest monsoon has withdrawn from parts of southwest Rajasthan today, September 25, 2023, against its normal date of withdrawal from southwest Rajasthan of September 17," it said in a statement. 

The late retreat of the monsoon this year is the 13th consecutive delayed withdrawal.

Withdrawal of the monsoon from northwest India marks the beginning of its retreat from the Indian subcontinent. Any delay in the monsoon's retreat means a longer rainy season, which can significantly impact agricultural production, particularly for northwest India where monsoon rainfall plays a crucial role in the Rabi crop production.

Typically, the southwest monsoon makes its onset over Kerala by June 1 and covers the entire country by July 8. It starts retreating from northwest India around September 17, withdrawing entirely by October 15.