Delhi’s monsoon has withdrawn after an 83-day stay, making this year’s spell the shortest over the capital in 14 years even as the city recorded 16 per cent more rainfall than normal, according to the India Meteorological Department.
The Southwest Monsoon remained over Delhi from July 2 to September 23, withdrawing two days ahead of its normal departure date of September 25. Its arrival was also delayed, reaching the capital five days after the normal onset date of June 27. This was Delhi’s first July monsoon onset since 2021.
The monsoon spell lasted 87 days in 2025, 96 days in 2024 and 97 days in 2023. The last shorter spell was recorded in 2012, when the monsoon remained over Delhi for 80 days. Since 1961, the earliest withdrawal from the capital was recorded on September 3, 1982, while the latest was on October 17, 2013.
Despite the shorter duration, rainfall totals remained above normal. Safdarjung, Delhi’s primary weather station, recorded 728.6 mm of rainfall between June 1 and September 23, compared with the normal 629.7 mm for the period. The total represents an excess of 16 per cent.
Rainfall was concentrated particularly heavily in August. Safdarjung recorded 354.1 mm during the month, 59 per cent above normal. On August 25, the station received 99.1 mm in 24 hours, its highest August daily rainfall in two years.
An India Meteorological Department official said no major rainfall record was broken this year. The official also noted that Delhi had received more than 900 mm of rainfall in each of the previous two years, placing this year’s total below the unusually high levels recorded recently despite remaining above the long-term normal.
The withdrawal was followed by a substantially drier September. Safdarjung recorded 74.7 mm of rainfall up to September 23, with rain reported on only three days during the month. The contrast between the heavy August rainfall and the drier September contributed to the unusual pattern of a shorter overall monsoon spell alongside above-normal seasonal rainfall.
The monsoon also withdrew from most parts of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, as well as some areas of Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. For Delhi, the end of the season closes a period in which rainfall was unevenly distributed across the three principal monsoon months covered by the report.
The withdrawal date is a key reference point for the city’s seasonal weather monitoring, but the rainfall figures show that the length of the monsoon alone does not determine the total water received. This year’s data combines a delayed onset, an early withdrawal, intense rainfall in August and limited rainfall in September. The IMD’s seasonal record will therefore remain the official basis for assessing the capital’s monsoon performance.
