Southwest monsoon has withdrawn from India: IMD

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In a significant shift in India's weather patterns, the Southwest Monsoon has officially withdrawn from the entire country on Tuesday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

In a statement, the IMD said that the southwest monsoon has withdrawn from the entire country on 15th October 2024. Simultaneously, the Northeast Monsoon rainfall activity has commenced over the south peninsular India on Tuesday, in association with following features:

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- A Well Marked Low Pressure Area lies over central part of south Bay of Bengal.

- Easterly and northeasterly winds set-in over southern peninsular India, south & adjoining central Bay of Bengal and extends upto middle tropospheric levels.

- Fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall occurred with isolated Heavy to very Heavy rainfall observed over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and Kerala.

Earlier, this month, the southwest monsoon, which led to above normal rainfall in most parts of the country, has withdrawn from Delhi on Wednesday, the PTI has earlier reported.

Usually, the monsoon starts retreating from northwest India by September 17 and withdraws from Delhi within a week.

"The southwest monsoon has further withdrawn from Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana Delhi; some parts of west Uttar Pradesh, west Madhya Pradesh and east Rajasthan and some more parts of west Rajasthan," the (Indian Meteorological Department) IMD had earlier said in a statement on October 2, according to the PTI.

The news agency reported, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday that more and intense low-pressure systems, especially in August and September, resulted in 8 per cent more rainfall than usual in India during the 2024 monsoon season.

The southwest monsoon season officially ended on Monday, with the country recording 934.8 mm of rainfall compared to the normal 868.6 mm -- the highest since 2020.

Delhi recorded 1029.9 mm of rainfall against a normal of 640.3 mm in the 2024 monsoon season.

According to IMD data, 13 deaths were reported in the national capital due to floods and heavy rain.

IMD data showed that 14 low-pressure systems impacted the country this monsoon, compared to the average of 13. These systems were active for a total of 69 days, against the normal 55 days.

Out of these 14 systems, five strengthened into depressions or deep depressions, and one became a cyclonic storm.

(with PTI inputs)