Monsoon leaves Delhi on September 23 in earliest retreat since 2002

The Southwest Monsoon has officially withdrawn from Delhi on Wednesday, September 23, marking the capital's earliest monsoon retreat since the year 2002 when it pulled back on September 20. The India Meteorological Department reports that the seasonal rains have also cleared out from most parts of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, along with several areas in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. The official withdrawal line currently passes through Gurdaspur, Chandigarh, Muzaffarnagar, Aligarh, Dholpur, Udaipur, Deesa, and Naliya. Drier weather is now expected to gradually take over Delhi and other parts of northwest India. Weather officials note that a monsoon withdrawal does not mean rain stops instantly, as local weather systems can still bring isolated showers. For Delhi and nearby areas, the meteorological department issued no weather warnings for the period between September 23 and September 29. Normally, the monsoon starts leaving northwest India around September 17, and exits most of the country by October 15. In past years, the retreat date has varied widely. The monsoon stayed over the capital until October 8 in 2016, October 2 in 2024, and as late as October 17 in 2013. Alongside the monsoon's departure, Delhi's air quality has begun to slip. Data from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee shows the city's 24-hour average air quality index climbed from 118 on September 19 to 160 on September 20, 169 on September 21, and 178 on September 22. On Wednesday morning, the index was recorded at 151, as the region heads toward its usual winter pollution cycle.