Southwest Monsoon

Today's Opinion highlights the RBI's policy choices, soaring IPL franchise valuations, fiscal challenges, climate targets and a timely examination of contemporary China

Centre forms crop weather watch and crisis management groups, circulates contingency plan to states as IMD forecasts below-normal monsoon and rainfall risks

Chouhan asks states to be 'prepared'; Centre prepares war chest of extra seeds to meet any eventuality

The monsoon, the primary rain-bearing system, normally arrives in Kerala around June 1 and advances northwards to cover other parts of the country

The southwest monsoon withdrew from the entire country on Thursday, a day after the usual date of October 15, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. At the same time, the northeast monsoon has set in over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, south interior Karnataka and Kerala-Mahe, the IMD said. This year, the monsoon reached Kerala on May 24, its earliest onset over the Indian mainland since 2009, when it arrived on May 23. It covered the entire country nine days before the usual date of July 8. This was the earliest the monsoon has covered the entire country since 2020 when it did so by June 26. The primary rain-bearing system usually makes its onset over Kerala by June 1 and covers the entire country by July 8. It starts retreating from northwest India around September 17 and withdraws completely by October 15. India recorded 937.2 mm of rainfall against the normal of 868.6 mm, a surplus of 8 per cent, in the entire four-month mons

The southwest monsoon that arrived in Himachal Pradesh on June 20 has completely withdrawn from the state on September 26, the Meteorological Centre Shimla said on Friday. The monsoon had withdrawn from eight out of 12 districts Chamba, Kangra, Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Solan, Sirmaur, and Mandi on Wednesday and from most areas of Kullu and Shimla districts, along with some places of Lahaul-Spiti on Friday. In the past 11 years, the early withdrawal was recorded on September 29, 2015, and the late withdrawal was recorded on October 11, 2019. The state received an average rainfall of 1,023 mm, surpassing the normal rainfall of 730 mm by 40 per cent during the monsoon season. Barring the tribal Lahaul-Spiti district, which received 23 per cent deficit rains, all the other 11 districts received excess rain with Shimla recording 98 percent excess followed by Kullu at 95 per cent, Bilaspur 79 per cent, Mandi 75 per cent, Solan 68 per cent, Una 62 per cent, Hamirpur 59 per cent, Sirmaur

Southwest monsoon has withdrawn from some parts of Rajasthan on September 14, with IMD warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall across north-east, east, central and southern states this week

Above-normal monsoon this year has seen surge in kharif planting, driving up fertiliser demand, but heavy rains in northern states have also ruined standing crops, while floods have killed hundreds

Delhi has been facing scorching summer heat over the past two weeks, with heat index temperatures reaching as high as 54.4 degrees Celsius last week

IMD says the southwest monsoon will progress northwards after a 13-day pause, with thunderstorms, gusty winds, and intense rain forecast across peninsular, northern, and northeastern India

Explore the scenic beauty of Southern India this monsoon, or on the long weekend due to Bakrid 2025, with these magnificent places that offer lush greenery and peace with friends, family or even solo

Mumbai logged record May rainfall of 295 mm as the early southwest monsoon shatters seven-decade records; airlines warn of travel delays due to flooding

Delhi records 186.4 mm rain in May, the highest since 1901; IMD warns of more thunderstorms and gusty winds as extreme weather linked to climate variability

This comes as the southwest monsoon hits multiple states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Mizoram, with red alerts and flood warnings in Karnataka

He has also instructed the district administrations to ensure the readiness of rescue vehicles and equipment to handle the southwest monsoon

The southwest monsoon advanced into parts of the south Bay of Bengal, south Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands and some areas of the north Andaman Sea on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department said. The weather department said moderate to heavy rainfall lashed Nicobar Islands over the past two days. The strength and depth of westerly winds over the south Bay of Bengal, Nicobar Islands and Andaman Sea increased in this period, with wind speeds exceeding 20 knots at 1.5 km above sea level and extending up to 4.5 km in some areas. The Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR), an indicator of cloudiness, also decreased over the region. These conditions met the criteria for the monsoon's onset over the region, it said. The weather office said conditions are favourable for the monsoon to advance further into more parts of the south Arabian Sea, Maldives and Comorin area; more areas of the south Bay of Bengal; the entire Andaman and Nicobar Islands; remaining parts of the Andaman Sea; and parts

An early onset of the southwest monsoon may boost kharif sowing and farm output, with IMD forecasting rainfall to be above normal at 105 per cent of the LPA this year

Our editorials and columns today look at both India's internal situation in light of global uncertainties, as well as its potential in replacing China in manufacturing

India's agricultural sector is still largely dependent on the four-month-long Southwest monsoon, but that correlation may be weakening as irrigation infra develops

Water levels in the reservoirs of North India particularly in the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, along with Bihar and Nagaland are among the states which are lower than their normal levels