Monsoon overstays, retreat now delayed till month-end

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 21

The Southwest Monsoon retreat has been delayed till the month-end. Normally, the seasonal rains start withdrawing around early September. However, over the past few years changes have been seen in the seasonal rains pattern in the country. 

According to the IMD, the withdrawal is likely to commence from parts of Northwest between September 28 and October 4. While one-after-the-other weather systems are among the reasons for the monsoon overstaying, the country is expected to end up with “below-normal” rains, largely due to deep deficiency in the Eastern and Northeastern parts. 

Between June 1 and September 19, the country on the whole received rains that were 10 per cent below the long period average. The Northwest received seven per cent below the normal, Central India six per cent and East and Northeast India 24 per cent. South Peninsula, which witnessed an unprecedented rain fury, is the only meteorological subdivision with a no-loss, no-gain.

Despite the delay in withdrawal, the week between September 13 and 19 saw the country on the whole registering 55 per cent less rains. Northwest saw a shortfall of 68 per cent, Central India 73 per cent, South Peninsula 21 per cent and East and Northeast 49 per cent. The good part is that agricultural belts have received good rains.

WDs to affect rains

Between September 28 and October 4, around the time monsoon begins its retreat, a couple of Western Disturbances as troughs are expected to affect ‘near normal’ rain over J&K, HP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam, Meghalaya