Southwest Monsoon Withdraws From Delhi: Earliest Retreat Since 2012
Image: AI-Skymet
The southwest monsoon has finally withdrawn from Delhi today, 24 Sep 2025. The withdrawal date nearly coincides with its normal date of 25th Sep. For nearly a decade, the monsoon had always stayed for extra days. Last year, the monsoon exited from the national capital on 2nd October. The latest retreat from Delhi was on 17th Oct 2013, which closely matched the onset of the Northeast Monsoon over the South Peninsula on 22nd October. The southwest monsoon had last withdrawn on the same day, 24th September, in 2012.
Delhi has received 41% excess rainfall during this monsoon season. Base station Safdarjung recorded above-average rainfall in each of the monsoon months, a rare event. The observatory accumulated 902.6 mm of rainfall against the seasonal normal of 640.4 mm. Last year, the capital city exceeded 1000 mm of rainfall and registered a total of 1029.9 mm. Since 2010, the city has crossed four-digit seasonal rainfall on three occasions. The year 2021 was the wettest since 1964, with a seasonal high of 1176.4 mm. The driest monsoon for Delhi was in 2014, when the city recorded barely 307.8 mm of rainfall.
Monsoon withdrawal does not mean complete cessation of rainfall from the location or the region. After the criteria for retreat are met, an announcement of withdrawal can be made. The conditions are necessary but not stringent to the letter and verdict. In the case of Delhi, there is no rainfall likely during this week. There is a likelihood of a depression forming over the Bay of Bengal on 26th September. This will move inland and track across the central parts of the country. The system is unlikely to move over the northern plains. Yet, while it positions itself over Central Madhya Pradesh and the neighborhood, the peripheral clouds may reach Delhi as well. A light sprinkle from the sheet clouds cannot be ruled out between 29th Sep and 2nd Oct 2025. However, the withdrawal of the monsoon will hold ground in the case of such an eventuality.
Kolkata Weather: Durga Puja Celebrations Hit by Heavy Rainfall and Flooding
