India’s southwest monsoon ended on Wednesday with rainfall 12.6% below normal. The country recorded 759.4 mm of rain during June-September, making it the fourth-lowest monsoon rainfall since 2001, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Because the monsoon deficit has been unevenly distributed, the impact, however, is likely to vary by region. The monsoon was also marked by sharp regional variations. Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya recorded deficient rainfall continuously through June, July, August and September.
Rainfed areas in parts of central, southern peninsular, eastern and northeastern India face greater moisture stress, Pareek said.
Rains picked up in late July and early August, briefly bringing some relief, but the recovery did not last. This combination of poor rainfall and high temperatures has implications for soil moisture going into the winter crop season. The weekly deficit touched 51.1% in the week ending July 15. Rainfall turned deficient again from mid-August, with the weekly shortfall reaching 36.3% in the week ending September 9. Region-wise, east and northeast India recorded a 25% deficit, south peninsular India was 24% below normal and northwest India 6% below normal, while central India was broadly near normal with a 2% deficit. Arunachal Pradesh recorded a 44% shortfall, Assam and Meghalaya 39%, Bihar 32%, Punjab 41%, Marathwada 39% and Kerala 28%. Overall, 17 meteorological subdivisions, covering 42% of the country’s area, recorded deficient rainfall during the season, while 18 subdivisions covering 53% of the area had normal rainfall. The IMD’s district-level data showed that 32% of districts were in the deficient rainfall category in September, while another 16% were in the large-deficient category.
The monsoon had a weak start, with rainfall remaining sharply below normal through much of June and early July, according to a weekly IMD chart. “The deficient southwest monsoon of 2026, closed with a 13% below the long-period average and 21% below last year, has left large tracts of the country with inadequate soil moisture,” founder of HnbY Deepak Pareek said.
The deficit narrowed towards the end of the season, but not enough to make up for the shortfall built up earlier.
