New Delhi

The southwest monsoon has withdrawn from some parts of West Rajasthan as of Saturday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

It adds that conditions are favourable for further withdrawal from some more parts of Rajasthan and some parts of Punjab, Saurashtra, and Kutch during the next three to four days.

"The southwest monsoon has withdrawn from some parts of West Rajasthan today, the 19th September, 2026, against the normal date of 17th September," the IMD said in a statement.

India was entirely covered by the southwest monsoon on July 9 after its onset over Kerala took place on June 4.

The country is facing a nationwide rainfall deficit of 15 per cent between June 4 and September 19, according to IMD data. Currently, the worst affected region is the Southern Peninsula, where the deficit is 29 per cent.

In its monthly forecast on August 31, the IMD had noted that the last month witnessed a rainfall of 213.3 mm over India, which was the seventh lowest for August since 2001.

So far, July has been the only month this monsoon season that received a surplus of rainfall. While the average rainfall in July is 280.5 mm, the country received 283.3 mm of rain during the month.

In June, the overall rainfall deficit stood at 35 per cent. The average rainfall during the month is 165 mm, but it witnessed just 106.8 mm of rain.

One key reason for the deficit rainfall this monsoon season has been the emergence of El Nino conditions over the equatorial Pacific in June.

El Nino is one of the three phases of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a climate phenomenon characterised by changes in sea temperatures along the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, accompanied by fluctuations in the atmosphere overhead.

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While El Nino is known to have a warming effect on the planet and less rainfall in India, its opposite phase, called La Niña, usually results in a cooling effect. ENSO also has a neutral phase.