Southwest monsoon starts retreating three days early from west Rajasthan: IMD
Monsoon began its withdrawal from parts of west Rajasthan on Sunday — three days ahead of the normal date of September 17 — after fulfilling the required meteorological conditions
New Delhi: The southwest monsoon began its withdrawal from parts of West Rajasthan on Sunday — three days ahead of the normal date of September 17 — after fulfilling the required meteorological conditions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The southwest monsoon has withdrawn following the development of an anti-cyclonic circulation over West Rajasthan at 1.5 km above mean sea level, the absence of rainfall over the region for the past five consecutive days, and a reduction in atmospheric moisture content up to the mid-tropospheric level --- the required meteorological conditions.
“The line of withdrawal of southwest monsoon currently passes through Sri Ganganagar, Nagaur, Jodhpur and Barmer in Rajasthan.Conditions are favourable for further withdrawal of Southwest Monsoon from some more parts of Rajasthan and some parts of Punjab and Gujarat during next 2-3 days,” IMD has said.
HT reported on September 13 that the monsoon may start withdrawing from India as early as September 15, marking its earliest retreat in a decade.
Conditions are becoming favourable for the withdrawal of the Southwest monsoon from some parts of West Rajasthan around September 15, the India Meteorological Department said on Friday. If the monsoon starts withdrawing from West Rajasthan on September 15, this will be the earliest start of withdrawal since 2015, when the withdrawal began on September 4. To be sure, 2016 also saw withdrawal begin on September 15.
“We can declare commencement of withdrawal when rainfall stops, humidity reduces and there are anticyclonic winds. We are expecting such conditions over West Rajasthan from September 15,” director general of IMD M Mohapatra had said.
This year, the monsoon made its onset over Kerala on May 24—eight days ahead of schedule—and made remarkably rapid progress over the next two days, covering large parts of the country.
Since June 1, there has been 8% excess rain over the country with 34% excess over Northwest India; 11% excess over central India; 7% excess over Peninsular India; and 20% deficiency over east and northeast India. Extended range forecasts of IMD show reduced rainfall over the country from September 18.
