New Delhi: The southwest monsoon withdrew from the entire country on Thursday, a day later than its usual withdrawal date of October 15, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced. Simultaneously, the northeast monsoon has begun over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, south interior Karnataka, and Kerala-Mahe.
The 2025 southwest monsoon, which reached Kerala on May 24—its earliest onset since 2009—covered the entire country by June 29, nine days ahead of the normal schedule. The IMD noted that this was the fastest advance since 2020, when the monsoon spread across India by June 26. Normally, the monsoon sets in over Kerala around June 1, envelops the country by July 8, begins retreating from northwest India around September 17, and fully withdraws by mid-October. This year, the season ended with a countrywide rainfall of 937.2 mm, against the normal 868.6 mm, marking a surplus of 8 per cent.
IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that most parts of the country are likely to receive above-normal rainfall during the post-monsoon season from October to December. “We expect around 15 per cent more rainfall than usual in October following the bountiful rains during June to September,” he said.
Regional variations, however, were stark. East and northeast India received only 1,089.9 mm of rain, 20 per cent below the normal of 1,367.3 mm, making it the second lowest monsoon rainfall in the region since 1901. “The lowest was 1,065.7 mm, recorded in 2013,” Mohapatra noted.
In contrast, northwest India recorded 747.9 mm of rainfall — 27.3 per cent above normal — the highest since 2001 and the sixth highest since 1901. All districts in the region saw above-normal rainfall in June, August, and September. Punjab experienced its worst flooding in decades, with rivers and canals breaching their banks, inundating vast tracts of farmland and displacing thousands. The Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand were hit by landslides and flash floods, while Jammu and Kashmir faced repeated cloudbursts and infrastructure damage.
According to the IMD, the surplus rainfall over northwest and central India was due to active monsoon conditions supported by frequent western disturbances. Central India received 1,125.3 mm of rainfall, 15.1 per cent above normal, while the southern peninsula saw a 9.9 per cent surplus over its normal 716.2 mm.
Month-wise, the country recorded 8.9 per cent excess rainfall in June, 4.8 per cent in July, 5.2 per cent in August, and 15.3 per cent in September. The season also witnessed 18 low-pressure systems and 69 low-pressure days, compared with the long-period average of 13 and 55, respectively.
The IMD underscored the monsoon’s significance for India’s economy, as it sustains the agriculture sector that supports around 42 per cent of the population and contributes 18.2 per cent to the national GDP, besides replenishing reservoirs vital for drinking water and power generation.