Southwest Monsoon 2025-Curtains Drawn: Season Ends Above Normal

The official bounds of the southwest monsoon season for the Indian subcontinent lie between 1st June and 30th September. The season came to a close with the last day’s rainfall ending at 8:30 am today. Monsoon 2025 figures among the exceptional events, closing with a seasonal rainfall of 108% of the long-period average. The monsoon has finished above normal for the second consecutive year. During the last seven years, since 2019, the monsoon has remained normal or above normal, except in 2023. Courtesy of El Niño, 2023 was below normal, a repeat of 2017 and 2018.

Monsoon 2025 has the distinction of having above-average rainfall in all four months. June, July, August, and September recorded 109%, 105%, 105%, and 116% rainfall of the long-period average, respectively. In the last 75 years, since 1950, such a record has occurred in 2007, 1975, 1961, and 1956. Although all those years ended with ‘excess’ monsoon rainfall, 2025 has closed with an ‘above normal’ status.

Though the official bounds of the season are contained between June and September, monsoon activity literally lasts for five months, from mid-May to mid-October. Plenty of weather activity awaits to drench many parts of the country between 1st and 15th October 2025. Rains will visit those parts yet again where the monsoon has officially withdrawn.

Monsoon 2025 had some special features, other than being a good performer in all four months:

• No typical ‘break in monsoon’. There was a pause, leading to scanty monsoon rainfall in the first half of August. Seasonal surplus accumulated earlier got consumed to break even at zero-zero.
• Rainfall deficit area reduced to a bare minimum of just 9% of the country for the season.
• Core monsoon months of July and August delivered desirably for the core monsoon area—the rainfed belt of the central parts.
• Rainfall deficiency over Marathwada and Rayalaseema observed earlier in the season recovered timely and ended with surplus rains.
• Bihar remained a grey area with a perpetual rainfall deficiency of about 30%.
• The Northeast region, like in past years, performed poorly yet again.

In view of the likely overstay of the monsoon, Mumbai and Kolkata may witness withdrawal around 10th and 15th October, respectively. Additional rains over the northern plains leave a good sign for the next (Rabi) crop, provided the Kharif crop is harvested and secured.