Pune: The southwest monsoon withdrawal commenced in Maharashtra on Saturday, Oct 3, covering parts of the state, including Pune and Mumbai. This commencement marks the earliest retreat since 2018, when the withdrawal process initially began on Oct 1.India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the withdrawal was triggered by a decline in rainfall activity, cloudiness, and relative humidity over the past two days, along with the absence of southwest monsoon flow and prevalence of dry northerly winds. These conditions were aligned with an anticyclonic circulation over north Gujarat and adjoining southwest Rajasthan in the lower levels of the atmosphere.The IMD noted that the southwest monsoon had withdrawn from the remaining parts of north India, the entirety of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, and parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra. The withdrawal line was passing through 27.5°N/86.5°E, Supaul, Ranchi, Raipur, Brahmapuri, Parbhani, Baramati, Harnai, and 17.5°N/71.8°E.Since the withdrawal line has passed through Baramati and Harnai, the monsoon has effectively withdrawn from Pune city, large parts of Pune district, Mumbai, and the coastal belt, IMD scientist S. D. Sanap said.“Monsoon withdrawal from Maharashtra normally starts around Oct 5, initially over north Madhya Maharashtra and north Konkan, and progresses across most parts of the state between Oct 5 and 10. Pune and Mumbai fall within this withdrawal window. Since it has happened on Oct 3 this year, it is early,” Sanap said.He added that the region had not recorded rainfall for the past three to four days and that the monsoonal winds had already moved away. “There is no southwesterly monsoonal flow over the region, including the Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal. With the absence of rainfall and monsoonal winds, the withdrawal has occurred,” he said.According to the IMD withdrawal map, the normal withdrawal dates for Mumbai and Pune are around Oct 8 and 9, respectively, making the Oct 3 withdrawal nearly a week early.The IMD stated that conditions were likely to become favourable for further withdrawal from most parts of Marathwada and Vidarbha, some more parts of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, and parts of Telangana and north interior Karnataka during the next two to three days. Sanap said the timing of the complete withdrawal from the rest of Maharashtra would depend on subsequent atmospheric conditions.The early withdrawal comes after a delayed start to the 2026 southwest monsoon over north Konkan. Independent weather expert Abhijit Modak said the monsoon arrived over north Konkan, including Mumbai, on June 23, around 12 days later than its usual onset.Modak said, “The year 2026 has therefore seen an unusual combination of a delayed monsoon onset followed by an early withdrawal, shortening the overall southwest monsoon window over Konkan. The weakening of the monsoon circulation earlier than usual has coincided with an early onset of Oct heat, roughly a week ahead of its typical timeline.”
