Pune: The southwest monsoon has started its withdrawal from Maharashtra as scheduled, with the process beginning from the northern parts of Nandurbar district on Saturday, October 5, 2024.

Despite the monsoon retreating seven days late from Rajasthan, it has begun withdrawing from Maharashtra on time. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts that if weather conditions remain favorable, the monsoon will fully retreat from the state by October 10.

The monsoon typically starts retreating from southern Rajasthan around September 17, but this year, the withdrawal was delayed by seven days, beginning only on September 24.

By the end of September, the retreat had covered parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana. However, the process then slowed, with the withdrawal extending into October.

By October 2, the monsoon had exited from Leh, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and some parts of Rajasthan.

The retreat slowed again on October 4 but picked up pace the next day, leading to the withdrawal of the monsoon from Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and parts of Madhya Pradesh and western Uttar Pradesh.

In Maharashtra, the monsoon withdrawal typically begins on October 5 and concludes by October 10. This year, the process has started as expected, and the IMD forecasts that the monsoon will exit the state by October 10. However, if any delays occur, the complete withdrawal could extend until October 15.

In the meantime, the IMD has issued a weather alert for light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, in parts of the Konkan region, northern Maharashtra, and central and southern Maharashtra on Sunday, October 6.