Monsoon likely to withdraw from Delhi by Thursday, says IMD

“Conditions are becoming favourable for further withdrawal of southwest monsoon from some more parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab; some parts of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir during next 2-3 days,” read an IMD bulletin on Monday.

Even though the southwest monsoon started retreating from parts of Rajasthan as of September 14 this year, as per the IMD, the normal date for withdrawal of monsoon is September 25.

This will bring an end to a relatively wet monsoon period, observed this year. Overall, Delhi has received 902.6 mm of rainfall this monsoon, which is about 35 per cent above the long-period average of 640.4 mm.

Although the city received rain on only eight days this month, September’s total has already touched 136.1 mm, higher than the month’s normal of 123.5 mm. This continues a trend of surplus rainfall since May.

The national capital this year saw its wettest May on record with 186.4 mm of rainfall, followed by an excess of 45 per cent in June, 24 per cent in July and a 72 per cent surplus in August. Delhi saw the wettest August in 15 years this time.

Instances of crop stubble burning have also been reported, with the total number of such cases standing at 64 — with 56 events in Punjab, three in Haryana, four in Uttar Pradesh and one in Rajasthan from September 15 to September 21. During the same period in the previous year, a total of 71 cases were recorded in these states. Meanwhile, 17 cases of stubble burning were reported in 2023, 108 in 2022, 28 in 2021 and 200 in 2020, as per data from the Indian Institute of Agricultural Research.

The Capital’s air quality remained in the “moderate” category for the tenth day in a row on Monday, with an AQI of 127, but the impact of stubble burning remained only marginal.

“The air quality is very likely to be in the ‘Moderate’ category from 23.09.2025 to 25.09.2025. The outlook for the subsequent 6 Days: The air quality is likely to be in the Moderate category,” read an early warning system on the air quality by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology on Monday.