Southwest Monsoon Withdraws Fully As Northeast Rains Begin in South

The southwest monsoon withdrew from the entire country on Thursday, according to the India Meteorological Department. On the same day, the northeast monsoon rains started over the southern parts of the country, bringing widespread showers to Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Karnataka.

Rainfall Data And Weather Systems

This year, the country recorded 759.4 mm of rainfall, which was 13 percent below the long period average of 868.6 mm. This was the fourth-lowest rainfall overall since 2001, driven largely by a strengthening El Niño. Meanwhile, an upper air cyclonic circulation lies over south coastal Tamil Nadu, and easterly winds have set in over southern peninsular India and parts of the Bay of Bengal. Heavy rainfall also occurred at a few places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal in the 24 hours till October 15.

Northwest Showers And Expert View

Intense showers were also recorded across northwest India on Thursday, including parts of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi. This was caused by a prevailing western disturbance and two cyclonic circulations. Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet, said the monsoon withdrawal was on track and that the impact of these systems in northwest India is expected to end by Friday.

Context

The northeast monsoon strictly affects southern India, bringing rains that continue into December while the rest of the country transitions to drier winter conditions. The India Meteorological Department tracks these seasonal patterns using a long period average to determine normal withdrawal dates for different regions.