The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Thursday that the southwest monsoon has completely withdrawn from the entire country, marking its retreat just a day after the normal date of October 15. Simultaneously, the northeast monsoon has set in over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, south interior Karnataka, and Kerala-Mahe, ushering in a new phase of seasonal rainfall for southern India.
This year monsoon began early, reaching Kerala on May 24 the earliest onset since 2009 and covering the entire country by June 29, nine days ahead of schedule. The four-month season from June to September brought 937.2 mm of rainfall, 8% above the long-period average of 868.6 mm.
Regionally, the rainfall pattern was uneven. East and northeast India recorded a significant 20% deficit, marking the second-lowest monsoon rainfall since 1901. In contrast, northwest India experienced 27.3% excess rainfall, the highest in over two decades. Central India and the southern peninsula also received above-normal rainfall, recording surpluses of 15.1% and 9.9%, respectively.
The IMD attributed the surplus rainfall in northwest and central regions to active monsoon conditions and frequent western disturbances that intensified precipitation. However, the same conditions led to severe flooding in Punjab, where overflowing rivers and breached canals submerged vast stretches of farmland and displaced thousands. The Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir also witnessed deadly cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides, damaging infrastructure and isolating communities.
According to IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, most regions of India, except parts of the northwest, are expected to see above-normal rainfall during the October-December post-monsoon period. He projected a 15% surplus for October alone, following the bountiful southwest monsoon.
The 2025 season saw 18 low-pressure systems and 69 low-pressure days both above the long-term averages contributing to the overall surplus. The monsoon remains vital to India’s economy, sustaining agriculture, replenishing reservoirs, and supporting power generation.
As the southwest monsoon exits, southern India now braces for the northeast monsoon, which typically brings heavy rains to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and parts of Andhra Pradesh crucial for the region’s agriculture and water storage before the dry season sets in.