The southwest monsoon, which began in Himachal Pradesh on June 27, has partially receded and is expected to withdraw completely within the next day or two, according to the India Meteorological Department’s cumulative weather data released on Wednesday.
Senior Weather Scientist Sandeep Kumar Sharma noted that despite an overall rainfall deficit of 18 percent, the monsoon season is classified as normal for the state. Shimla reported rainfall that was 15 percent above normal, while Lahaul-Spiti faced a significant deficit of 69 percent.
Sharma indicated that the monsoon will fully recede from Himachal Pradesh shortly. He explained, “While the state experienced 18 percent less rain, this is still considered within the normal range. Districts such as Shimla, Sirmaur, Kullu, Mandi, Bilaspur, and Kangra saw normal rainfall levels. In contrast, Chamba, Hamirpur, Solan, Una, Kinnaur, and Lahaul-Spiti had below-normal rainfall. Notably, Shimla had 15 percent more rainfall than usual, while Lahaul-Spiti recorded a 69 percent deficit.”
He further detailed the monthly rainfall trends: “In June, rainfall was 54 percent below average; July saw a 57 percent deficit, while August had near-normal conditions with only a 5 percent shortfall. September showed slight improvement, with rainfall 4 percent above normal overall, leading to a classification of the monsoon season as normal in the state.”
Looking ahead, Sharma mentioned, “On October 5 and 8, the high-altitude areas of Chamba and Lahaul-Spiti are expected to receive some rainfall, but the weather will generally remain stable over the next five days. Temperatures in the plains are likely to rise by 2 to 3 degrees over the next three to four days, with daytime temperatures expected to be 2 to 3 degrees above normal across the state.”
