The southwest monsoon withdrew from Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, 3 October — eight days behind the normal withdrawal date of 25 September — according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) centre in Shimla. Despite completing its seasonal cycle, the Himalayan state recorded its 41st lowest monsoon rainfall since 1901, a marker that underscores a pattern of rainfall variability increasingly concerning to water managers and farmers alike.

Seasonal Rainfall at a Glance

The IMD confirmed that the southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall — covering June to September — was classified as normal over the state, with 652.3 mm of actual precipitation against a long-period average of 734.4 mm, reflecting a departure of minus 11 per cent. While 'normal' by meteorological classification, the figure places this year among the drier monsoon seasons in the state's recorded history stretching back 125 years.

For context, the highest monsoon rainfall ever recorded in Himachal Pradesh was 1,314.6 mm, logged in 1922 — nearly double this year's total.

District-Level Disparities

The rainfall picture varied sharply across districts. Kinnaur, Una, Bilaspur, Kullu, Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur and Solan all received normal precipitation for the season. However, Hamirpur district recorded deficient precipitation, while the remote high-altitude district of Lahaul-Spiti received very deficient rainfall — the starkest shortfall in the state.

In August alone, Kangra district received the highest precipitation at 658.0 mm, while Lahaul-Spiti recorded the lowest at just 27.8 mm. Sirmaur district posted the highest positive departure of 17 per cent, while Lahaul-Spiti recorded the highest negative departure of minus 76 per cent — a figure that signals acute agricultural and water stress in an already fragile ecosystem.

Monsoon Arrival and Activity Pattern

The monsoon entered Himachal Pradesh on 30 June and covered the entire state by 1 July — seven days later than the normal onset date of 25 June. This delayed arrival compressed the effective rainfall window and likely contributed to the below-average seasonal total.

According to the IMD, the state received scattered to fairly widespread precipitation on many days in August. Active monsoon conditions were recorded on five days — 5, 7, 11, 19 and 31 August — while weak activity prevailed on 11 days: 2, 3, 9, 13, 14, 21, 25, 27, 28, 29 and 30 August. Very heavy rainfall was reported at isolated locations in Sirmaur and Bilaspur on 4 August, in Sirmaur and Una on 5 August, in Kangra on 15 August, and across Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Kangra on 19 August.

Overall, August recorded 212.5 mm of rainfall against a normal of 256.8 mm, a departure of minus 17 per cent, though still within the IMD's 'normal' band for the month.

Why This Matters Beyond the Numbers

Himachal Pradesh's rivers — including the Beas, Sutlej and Ravi — feed reservoirs and hydropower projects that supply electricity and irrigation water to large parts of northern India. A below-average monsoon, especially in high-altitude districts like Lahaul-Spiti, can affect snowpack replenishment and river flows well into the winter months. This comes amid broader concerns about erratic monsoon behaviour across the Western Himalayas, a trend that climate scientists have flagged as intensifying in frequency. The 41st lowest ranking out of 125 years of records places this season in the bottom third historically, though not in the extreme drought category.

With the monsoon now withdrawn, attention shifts to the post-monsoon and winter precipitation outlook, which will be critical for reservoir levels and the upcoming rabi crop season across the state.