The southwest monsoon will withdraw completely from the entire country around October 26, paving the way for the commencement of the northeast monsoon, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday.

After its late withdrawal from northwest India, the southwest monsoon remains active over some parts of the country.

The southwest monsoon withdrawal line currently passes through Kohima, Silchar, Krishnanagar, Baripada, Malkangiri, Nalgonda, Bagalkote, and Vengurla.

Conditions are becoming favourable for further withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from remaining parts of northeast India, the entire north Bay of Bengal, remaining parts of West Bengal and Odisha, some parts of the central Bay of Bengal, parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, entire Goa, some more parts of Karnataka and some more parts of central Arabian Sea around October 23, the IMD said.

With likely setting in of northeasterly winds in the lower tropospheric levels over the Bay of Bengal and extreme south Peninsular India, the Southwest Monsoon is likely to withdraw from the entire country around 26th October 2021. Simultaneously, the Northeast Monsoon rains are also likely to commence over Southeast Peninsular India from around 26th October 2021, the Met department said.

The northeast monsoon brings rains over Tamil Nadu, parts of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh.

The withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from northwest India commenced on October 6. The retreat was the second-most delayed withdrawal of the southwest monsoon since 1975. The southwest monsoon withdrawal from northwest India in 2019 started on October 9.

The withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from northwest India usually begins on September 17.

However, the southwest monsoon remains active over several parts of the country.

The IMD said a cyclonic circulation lies over Bihar and neighbouring areas.

Under its influence, fairly widespread to widespread, light to moderate rainfall with isolated heavy fall and thunderstorms and lightning is very likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Tripura, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on October 20 and 21 and over Gangetic West Bengal and Bihar on October 20 and (it will) reduce thereafter.

Isolated extremely heavy falls are also likely over the sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim on October 20 and very heavy falls over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya on the same day, it added.

There will be rainfall activity over Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, coastal and south interior Karnataka during October 20-24, the IMD said.