The south-west monsoon is set to withdraw from northern and some parts of western India in the next 48 hours after bringing ample showers since late August triggering cheers among millions of farmers.
According to a bulletin released by the weather department this afternoon, “conditions have become favourable for withdrawal of southwest monsoon from parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Saurashtra and Kutch during next 48 hours.”
Satellite imagery and the observations, it said, clearly indicate reduction in moisture over parts of northwest India.
The late rally of the monsoon helped cut the deficiency in rainfall experienced in the first two months of the season.
According the data released by the weather office last week for this season, rainfall was just five per cent less than normal till now as against 31 per cent deficiency in June.
In July, the country received 13 per cent deficient rains prompting the government to roll out relief measures.
This will be the seventh straight year when the withdrawal of monsoon, which normally begins in the first week of September, has been delayed to the third week of the month.
Even in 2005, when the withdrawal had started on September two, the progress had stalled after the initial phase with the next stage taking place towards month end.
Usually monsoon withdraws from the entire country by September end, but in the past eight years, this has been delayed till as long as October 11.
