The southwest monsoon will not begin withdrawal from the city before October 1. India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday the monsoon began retreating from the country on September 24,almost three weeks late,but was still to reach Maharashtra. It was likely to miss the date,October 1,of withdrawal from Madhya Maharashtra and coastal Konkan (including Mumbai),IMD said. Weathermen said the delay was due to a low-pressure area formed over Bay of Bengal. Under the influence of the low-pressure area we expect an increase in rainfall and moisture content. This weather is expected to bring rain mainly along the east coast,but some rain activity can be expected over interior Maharashtra as well. We do not expect withdrawal of monsoon from Madhya Maharashtra and coastal Konkan for four to five days, said Medha Khole,Deputy Director General of Meteorology (Weather Forecast),IMD,Pune. Meanwhile,the city has remained dry in the last few days. Temperatures have been going up,with the Santacruz weather station recording 33 degrees on Thursday,the hottest day of the month so far. Not many times has the highest temperature in September reached 33 degrees since 2002 (see box). The period up to the beginning of monsoon withdrawal from the city is expected to be mostly dry,weathermen said. It will be mostly sunny and dry till the expected withdrawal in the first week of October, said N Y Apte,Deputy Director General of Meteorology,IMD,Mumbai.
