The India Meteorological Department on Saturday forecast the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon over the next 24 hours and the onset of the northeast monsoon within two days.
“The southwest monsoon has fully not withdrawn from the country,” Sathi Devi, head of the National Weather Forecasting Centre, told PTI. “We expect the monsoon to withdraw completely from the country on October 20.”
The northeast monsoon brings the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry around 48% of its annual rainfall. The weather department has forecast heavy rainfall over parts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, south Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala over the next 24 hours.
“Wind direction, precipitation over some areas and moisture build up will decide the onset of monsoon,” The Times of India quoted a weather official as saying.
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