Southwest Monsoon withdraws from Delhi two days before its usual date

The Southwest Monsoon withdrew from Delhi on Wednesday, two days before its usual September 25 exit date, the India Meteorological Department said.

At Safdarjung, Delhi recorded 728.6 mm of rainfall from June 1 to September 23, against a normal of 629.7 mm. That is 16% above normal, though the IMD classified the season’s rainfall as within the normal range.

The monsoon had reached Delhi on July 2, later than the normal onset date of June 27. Its withdrawal on September 23 follows last year’s September 24 departure.

The weather system also withdrew from most of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, along with parts of Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Delhi’s earliest recorded monsoon withdrawal since 1961 was on September 3, 1982; the latest was on October 17, 2013.