New Delhi: In a significant shift in India’s weather patterns, the Southwest Monsoon officially withdrew from the entire country on Tuesday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

In a statement, the IMD announced that the Southwest Monsoon had withdrawn from the entire country as of October 15, 2024. Simultaneously, the Northeast Monsoon rainfall activity commenced over South Peninsular India on the same day.

IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra stated during a virtual press conference on Tuesday that an increase in low-pressure systems, particularly in August and September, resulted in 8% more rainfall than usual during the 2024 monsoon season.

The country recorded 934.8 mm of rainfall compared to the normal 868.6 mm — the highest since 2020. Around 35% of the country experienced ‘excess rainfall,’ while 54% saw ‘normal’ rainfall. Monthly figures show that June received 89% of its average, July had 9% more, August saw 15% above normal, and September recorded 12% over the usual amount.

As of this morning, October 15th, Gujarat has completed 140.60% of its average monsoon rainfall for the season. This year, the state received approximately 1,241.46 mm of rain against an average of 883 mm (based on data from 1994-2023). Among the regions, South Gujarat saw the highest rainfall with 2,176.17 mm, followed by Saurashtra with 1,121.99 mm and East Central Gujarat with 1,088.50 mm. Meanwhile, Kutch and North Gujarat recorded average rainfall of 908.00 mm and 843.14 mm, respectively.

Typically, the monsoon begins retreating from northwest India by September 17 and withdraws from Gujarat by October 5th. However, after withdrawing from most parts of the state by October 4th, it officially exited the entire state today, along with the rest of the country. DeshGujarat