Monsoon season wraps up, leaves Himachal with 18% rain deficit

The monsoon season came to an end on Monday, with the state receiving 18% deficit rainfall in the season, which lasts from June to September, this year.

Himachal in total received 600.9 mm of actual rainfall during monsoon 2024 against its normal 734.4 mm. Notably, the departure of the monsoon was delayed this year.

Last year, the state had received 21% excess rainfall during the monsoon season — with the figure reading 886 mm. “Himachal received 97th highest rainfall of 600.9 mm in the monsoon season in the last 124 years. However, the highest rainfall (1314.6 mm) was recorded in the year 1922 for the period of 1901 to 2024,” India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its report.

This year, the monsoon entered the state on June 27 and covered it entirely by June 29, slightly delayed compared to the normal onset date of June 25. In the last 124 years, the earliest onset of southwest monsoon was on June 9, 2000 and most delayed onset was on July 5, 2010.

Himachal received 46.2 mm against its normal value of 101.1 mm in June which was 54% lesser than its Long Period Average. Districts Una, Solan, Sirmaur, Shimla, Mandi, Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu and Bilaspur received deficient rainfall and remaining districts received large deficient rainfall.

In July, the state received 180.5 mm against its normal value of 255.9 mm which was 29% lesser than its Long Period Average. District Kangra has received the highest rainfall amount viz. 581.5 mm. The districts of Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Shimla received normal rainfall whereas Districts Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Kinnaur, Sirmaur, Solan and Una received deficient rainfall and District Lahaul-Spiti received large deficient rainfall.

While in August, the state received 243.6 mm against its normal value of 256.8 mm, which was 5% lesser than its long period average, it received 125.3 mm against its normal value of 120.6 mm which was 4% higher than the long period Average.

During the monsoon season, the extremely heavy rainfall was reported over Dharamshala and Palampur on July 6; over Palampur on August 1 and over Dhaulakuan on September 26.

IMF officials said, “The conditions are becoming favourable for withdrawal of Monsoon from some parts of Himachal Pradesh during the next 2-3 days. However, the normal date of withdrawal of the Monsoon from Himachal Pradesh is September 25.”

Last year, while the onset of monsoon was recorded on June 27, it withdrew from the state on October 6.