India’s southwest monsoon ended with 759.4 mm of rain, which is 12.6% below normal. This season, which typically runs from June to September, left many regions struggling with uneven rainfall. While Dadra and Nagar Haveli got excess rain, Ramanagara district in Karnataka faced a massive 92% deficit this year.
As the southwest monsoon retreats and the northeast monsoon sets in over southern India, the country is left to reckon with an uneven season of rainfall. After a season that delivered 12.6% less rainfall than normal, the effects have varied across the country, shaped by how much rain each region received and how dependent it is on the seasonal showers.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted the onset of northeast monsoon over the south peninsular region by mid-October. Heavy rainfall is expected in parts of South India between October 14 and October 19. As the northeast monsoon sets in, here is a look at the impact of the withdrawing southwest monsoon on various regions of the country.
The southwest monsoon, India's primary source of rainfall, ended the season with 759.4 mm rain, 12.6% below normal. Typically spanning June to September, the southwest monsoon accounts for the largest share of India's annual rainfall, making it crucial for agriculture, irrigation, drinking water supply and hydropower generation.
The IMD calculates normal rainfall using 50 years of data. The current annual normal was declared in 2022 based on data from 1971 to 2020. The normal for southwest monsoon rainfall across the country is set at 868.6 mm, which amounts to 75% of the annual rainfall.
Southwest monsoon covers a major portion of India
Among districts, Dadra and Nagar Haveli recorded the highest rainfall in the country, receiving 3182.5 mm rainfall, 38% above normal. Raigad district in Maharashtra recorded the second-highest rainfall at 2,940 mm, followed by Valsad district in Gujarat with 2,875.1 mm.
Among districts that received excess rainfall, Bageshwar in Uttarakhand received 2083.8 mm rainfall, 163% above normal.
Ramanagara district in Karnataka recorded the highest deficit, receiving just 34.2 mm rainfall, a 92% departure from the district's normal. Anjaw district in Arunachal Pradesh received 175.1 mm rainfall, 89% below normal.
Few districts received normal rainfall in major states
Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Goa reported high number of districts with deficient rainfall