IMD confirms monsoon has left Rajasthan: Where will the rain end next?

The southwest monsoon has begun its retreat from India, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirming the rainy season's withdrawal from some parts of west Rajasthan.The withdrawal comes two days after the IMD's normal withdrawal date of September 17, when the monsoon begins to exit the region.Although the monsoon is retreating, it does not mean the monsoon is over across India.The retreat has only begun, and several parts of the country are likely to continue receiving rain in the coming days. People drive amid monsoon rains. (Photo: PTI) MONSOON LEAVES RAJASTHANAccording to the IMD, the southwest monsoon withdrew from some parts of West Rajasthan on September 19.The weather agency confirmed on Saturday, September 19, that the withdrawal line currently runs through Ramgarh, Mohangarh, Phalodi, and Khajuwala. The IMD added that conditions are favourable for the monsoon to retreat from more parts of Rajasthan, as well as some parts of Punjab and Saurashtra & Kutch, during the next three to four days.It's also important to note that the ongoing withdrawal marks the gradual end of the southwest monsoon season over different parts of the country, rather than a sudden end to rainfall everywhere. A view of an agricultural land under a clear sky in Rajasthan. (Photo: PTI) HOW DOES IMD DECLARE MONSOON WITHDRAWAL?The IMD does not declare withdrawal simply because a region receives less rain.For the initial withdrawal from northwestern India, three major conditions are considered after September 1; rainfall activity must cease for five consecutive days; an anticyclone, or a large-scale area of sinking air, must establish in the lower atmosphere; and there must be a considerable reduction in atmospheric moisture, assessed using satellite water-vapour imagery and other observations.For further withdrawal, the IMD also looks for spatial continuity, falling moisture levels and five days of dry weather.West Rajasthan seems to have met the conditions, and other regions await a monsoon exit soon. A farmer checks their damaged crop flattened by strong winds and rain in Punjab. (Photo: PTI) MONSOON LEAVING, RAIN NOT OVEREven as the monsoon pulls back from Rajasthan, an active weather system over the Bay of Bengal is set to keep parts of India wet.An upper-air cyclonic circulation over the north Andaman Sea and nearby areas is likely to develop into a low-pressure area around September 19.The system is then expected to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a depression over the eastcentral Bay of Bengal on September 21 and a deep depression over the westcentral Bay on September 22, before reaching near the south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coast around September 23. A satellite image shows the weather system over the Indian subcontinent. (Photo: Windy) The system is expected to bring rain to parts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and neighbouring regions even as the monsoon begins its retreat elsewhere.- EndsPublished On: Sep 20, 2026 07:30 IST