Chandigarh: The Southwest Monsoon has nearly withdrawn from Punjab and Haryana, marking the end of the season across most parts of the two states. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a fresh spell of rainfall between September 25 and September 29, bringing a possibility of light to moderate showers in several districts.
According to the IMD, isolated rainfall is likely on September 25, 28 and 29, while a few places may witness light to moderate rain on September 26 and 27. The forecast covers large parts of Punjab, particularly the north-western, eastern and south-western regions, along with most areas of Haryana except Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar districts.
Weather officials said that a western disturbance and an upper-air cyclonic circulation over the western Himalayan region are influencing atmospheric conditions and are expected to trigger the upcoming rainfall activity.
The monsoon began retreating from Punjab and Haryana on September 21 and has since withdrawn from most areas. The current line of withdrawal passes through Gurdaspur, Chandigarh, Muzaffarnagar, Aligarh, Dholpur, Udaipur, Deesa and Naliya. As of September 23, only a narrow belt along the eastern edge of Punjab and the north-eastern tip of Haryana remained under the monsoon's influence.
Satellite imagery released by the IMD showed largely clear skies over both states, indicating the near-complete withdrawal of monsoon conditions from the region.
Despite the expected rainfall over the coming days, both states continue to record a significant deficit in seasonal precipitation. Data from June 1 to the morning of September 23 shows that Punjab received 267.8 mm of rainfall against its long-period average (LPA) of 424.9 mm, resulting in a deficiency of 37 per cent. Haryana recorded 313.9 mm of rainfall compared with its LPA of 423.2 mm, reflecting a deficit of 26 per cent.
In Punjab, only two districts recorded above-normal rainfall during the season. Pathankot reported a surplus of 37 per cent, while Gurdaspur registered a surplus of 28 per cent. All remaining districts received below-average rainfall, with deficits ranging between 5 per cent and 70 per cent. Kapurthala, Fatehgarh Sahib and Mansa were among the districts that received the least rainfall.
Haryana also witnessed below-normal rainfall across most districts. Palwal was the only district to record above-average precipitation, registering a surplus of 21 per cent. Rainfall shortages in other districts ranged from 1 per cent to 59 per cent, with Jind, Sirsa and Kaithal experiencing the largest deficits.
The IMD has also forecast isolated to fairly widespread rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of up to 60 kmph in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh on certain days through September 29.
While the monsoon season is drawing to a close in Punjab and Haryana, the forecast rain spell could provide some relief to regions that have experienced below-normal rainfall this year.