The southwest monsoon (SWM) started withdrawing from western Rajasthan on September 14, three days before the normal date of September 17, according to the latest update from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The commencement of withdrawal is the earliest in the last 10 years, according to IMD.
The withdrawal had started on September 23 in 2024 and on September 25 in 2023, according to data from the IMD. The onset of the rainfall season had also occurred a week before the normal date of June 1 on May 24 in 2025. The SWM season leaves most states with what IMD defines as normal rainfall (19 per cent deficit to 19 per cent excess) and many states, especially in northwest India, reeling under flash floods, landslides and riverine floods.
The countrywide monsoon rainfall was seven per cent above normal on September 15 with only four Indian states having received deficient rainfall between June 1 and September 15, according to data from the IMD. All these states are in the east and Northeast India, with usually rain-rich Meghalaya recording the highest deficit rainfall of 44 per cent in the period. Another rainy state of Arunachal Pradesh recorded the second-highest rainfall deficit of 40 per cent.
On the other hand, mostly arid and semiarid Rajasthan received 68 per cent more rains than the normal, the highest among the states in the country. The cold desert region of the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh had a whopping excess of 413 percent between June 1 and September 15. These were the only states or UT that received large excess (>60 per cent more than the normal) rainfall during the season.
There were 12 states or UT that received excess rainfall (20 per cent to 59 per cent more than the normal) with six of them in northwest India and 18 states or UT with normal rainfall.
At the level of districts 20 per cent received deficient or large deficient rainfall between June 1 and September 15. One third (33 per cent) of the districts received excess or large excess rainfall and almost half (47 per cent) the districts received normal rainfall.
Even as the SWM withdraws from the Northwest, southern and central India is still getting rainfall from the low-pressure systems that are forming in the Bay of Bengal and the various cyclonic circulations and troughs over the land areas. A low-pressure area was active over Telangana and adjoining Vidarbha on September 14 which became less marked on September 15. Another low-pressure area may form in the Bay of Bengal around September 20.