Second Driest November In Nearly One Decade: Northeast Monsoon Tumbled
Image: AI-Skymet
Key Takeaways
- November 2025 ended with a 43% pan-India rainfall deficit, the second lowest since 2018.
- The Northeast Monsoon largely collapsed, leaving most subdivisions in South India severely rain-deficient.
- Tamil Nadu remained the only major subdivision with near-normal rainfall, posting only an 18% deficit.
- Cyclone Ditwah weakened offshore, with no vigorous monsoon conditions expected in early December.
Month of November 2025 literally ended on one of the driest notes for the country. Pan-India rainfall was 17 mm against the normal of 29.7 mm, a shortfall of 43%. This happens to be the second lowest rainfall since 2018. The worst part was that the all-important season of the Northeast Monsoon collapsed against the promising forecast, and the rainiest month of November was a total washout. Though for North India this is the least rainy month for the plains, it is also the most prominent month of the Northeast Monsoon.
A few of the sub-divisions that saved grace and recorded normal or above-normal rainfall were Bihar, Sikkim & Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Konkan & Goa, and Saurashtra & Kutch. Some of the worst performers were the mountains and plains of North India. The entire central part of the country, outside Gujarat, painted a disappointing picture with rainfall deficiency in excess of 80%. Four out of five sub-divisions of the Northeast Monsoon over the South Peninsula were largely dehydrated. South Interior Karnataka and Coastal Andhra Pradesh suffered a shortfall of 80% rainfall. The only face-saver was the state of Tamil Nadu with a nominal shortfall of 18% rainfall. Mind you, the Northeast Monsoon is the main rainy season for the state, and November is the chief rainiest month.
With the weakening of Cyclone Ditwah off the coast of Andhra Pradesh, subdued rainfall activity is likely over coastal parts of Andhra Pradesh today. No vigorous monsoon conditions are expected over the southern parts during the first ten days of December. South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and the interiors of Kerala may have moderate and fairly widespread showers for a day during this period. As such, the Northeast Monsoon activity mellows down considerably during the second half of December.
