Southwest monsoon bids adieu to Maha on October 10

Five days after its normal date of withdrawal from Maharashtra (October 5), the southwest monsoon began retreating from the state on Friday

PUNE: Five days after its normal date of withdrawal from Maharashtra (October 5), the southwest monsoon began retreating from the state on Friday, October 10.

Five days after its normal date of withdrawal from Maharashtra (October 5), the southwest monsoon began retreating from the state on Friday. ((PIC FOR REPRESENTATION))

After starting its retreat from Rajasthan three days before the normal date, the withdrawal process was stalled for 15 days from September 24 to October 9 mainly due to the formation of cyclone Shakti in the Arabian Sea and another low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal. The withdrawal process resumed on October 9 wherein the monsoon retreated from a few more areas in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. On October 10 however, the withdrawal gained momentum with the monsoon retreating from the remaining parts of Gujarat; several areas of Maharashtra including north Konkan, Mumbai, and north-central Maharashtra; some parts of Vidarbha; and most parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh; along with some regions of Bihar; as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The current line of withdrawal now passes through 18.5°N/72°E, Alibag, Ahilyanagar, Akola, Jabalpur, Varanasi, Raxaul and 28°N/86°E.

As per the IMD, conditions remain favourable for the further retreat of the southwest monsoon from the remaining areas of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar; as well as entire regions of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh; and parts of West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha, and Telangana over the next three to four days.

The southwest monsoon’s journey this year has been rather unique. It made a record early onset over India in May and created history in Maharashtra with its arrival on May 26 – 14 days ahead of schedule. Within a short span, it covered nearly 45% of the state, including major regions such as Mumbai, Pune, and parts of Solapur district. After this swift advancement however, the monsoon stalled on May 27, triggering a dry spell across several areas. It resumed progress on June 13. Throughout the season, Maharashtra witnessed active monsoon conditions alternating with dry spells. Despite these fluctuations, the monsoon season ended with an overall surplus (rainfall).

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon is yet to retreat from Pune district. However, with the forecast indicating favourable conditions for further withdrawal from several parts of Maharashtra, Pune is also expected to witness the monsoon’s retreat in the coming days.

S D Sanap, senior meteorologist from IMD Pune, said, “The city is likely to experience mainly clear skies from October 11 onwards. For the next 48 hours, there are chances of partly cloudy skies during the afternoon or evening hours. From October 13 onwards, the city will experience clear weather conditions.”