SHIMLA: The southwest monsoon officially withdrew from Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday (October 2, 2024), leaving the state with an overall 18 per cent rainfall deficiency for the season. This year, the state received 600.9 mm of rainfall during the monsoon period, marking the 97th highest rainfall in the last 124 years. The highest recorded monsoon rainfall for the state, 1,314.6 mm, occurred in 1922.
The monsoon season entered Himachal Pradesh on June 27, bringing rains that lasted until September 30. During this time, the state saw 600 mm of rainfall, falling short of the 734 mm considered normal for the season. The withdrawal of the southwest monsoon occurred slightly later than the usual date of September 25, but earlier than last year’s departure on October 6.
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June sees 54% less rainfall
The monsoon kicked off with a significant shortfall in June where Himachal Pradesh recorded 54 per cent less rainfall than usual. The state received only 46 mm of rain between June 27 and June 30, compared to the normal 101 mm for this period. All districts experienced reduced precipitation during June.
July rainfall down by 29%
July brought slightly more rain, but the state still saw 29 per cent less rainfall than expected. Himachal recorded 180 mm of rain against a normal average of 255 mm for the month. While rainfall remained below average, isolated areas experienced heavy downpour, particularly on July 6 in Dharamshala and Palampur.
Slight deficiency in August, recovery in September
In August, Himachal Pradesh received 243 mm of rain, falling just 5 per cent short of the normal 256 mm. However, the trend shifted in September, with the state receiving 125 mm of rainfall, 4 per cent above the monthly average of 120 mm. Notable heavy rains were recorded in Palampur on August 1 and in Dhaula Kuan on September 26.
During the monsoon season, heavy rain events occurred once in June, six times in July, seven times in August and thrice in September. Despite these fluctuations, the overall rainfall this monsoon season was significantly lower than normal, raising concerns about water shortages and agricultural impacts in the coming months.
