Southwest Monsoon to fully withdraw from country today

According to the India Meteorological Department, the Southwest Monsoon will most likely withdraw completely from the country on October 20. It must be noted that the Southwest Monsoon begins on 1 June and ends by 30 September. Moreover, its withdrawal starts from the western Rajasthan from 1 September.

Though the official withdrawal is September 30, still the monsoon continues to linger on various parts of the country. It also takes more than two weeks for the monsoon to fully withdraw from the country. What precedes the Southwest Monsoon is the downpour in Northeast region that gives rainfall to several parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

It is pertinent to mention that the Southwest Monsoon is the lifeline of India that not only helps agriculture, which is the prime contributor to the GDP but also has an extensive impact on the economy.

The country so far has received rainfall 91% of Long Period Average (LPA), which is below the normal category. The eastern as well as northeastern part of India, including West Bengal, Bihar and northeastern states has witnessed maximum rainfall deficit.

Conversely, Kerala had witnessed heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding.