Monsoon Withdraws Across India As South Prepares For Heavy Rain
The southwest monsoon has fully withdrawn from India, but heavy rains and alerts continue across several southern states and parts of the north.
On Friday 16 October 2026, the India Meteorological Department announced that the southwest monsoon has withdrawn from the entire country. The central weather agency confirmed that this nationwide exit was completed on Thursday 15 October. However, the end of the summer monsoon does not mean an immediate halt to wet weather. On Friday, the department issued an orange warning for heavy to very heavy rain across south interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal. An orange warning is the department's second-highest alert level, urging people to be prepared for disruption. The weather office also stated that heavy downpours will hit Andhra Pradesh, coastal Karnataka, Kerala and Mahe over the next two days. This southern alert follows separate rain systems in northern India. On Thursday, the weather office had forecast heavy to very heavy rain over Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab and Delhi. It also reported that the higher reaches of Doda in Jammu and Kashmir received the season's first snowfall.
Why it matters
The southwest monsoon is the vital June-to-September rainfall system that fills reservoirs, feeds rivers and waters crops across most of India. When meteorologists say it has withdrawn completely, it means this massive seasonal wind pattern has left the nation, including the southern peninsula, which is usually the last region it departs. For working families, small farmers and urban commuters, seasonal shifts bring serious daily challenges. An orange alert indicates that local communities must get ready for disruptions like waterlogged streets, transport delays and hazards in coastal and hilly areas. Crucially, the rain falling in the south is not part of the departing summer monsoon. It comes from a separate weather pattern, including the northeast monsoon that brings rainfall to Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh around this time of year. Officials stressed that the northern rain forecast and the southern alerts are two distinct systems, rather than a single storm covering the country.
Alerts and regional forecasts
• The India Meteorological Department confirmed that the southwest monsoon completed its withdrawal across the country on Thursday 15 October.
• An orange alert was issued on Friday for south interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal due to heavy rain.
• Coastal Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Mahe are expected to face heavy rainfall over the next two days.
• In northern India, forecasters on Thursday predicted heavy to very heavy rain across Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab.
• High-altitude regions in Doda in Jammu and Kashmir recorded the season's first snowfall as winter weather began setting in.
What's next
Looking ahead, the orange alert remains in place on Friday for south interior Karnataka and the Tamil Nadu coast. Heavy showers will continue across Andhra Pradesh, coastal Karnataka and Kerala for about two more days. Furthermore, the weather department warned that heavy rain can continue until 21 October over Kerala, Mahe, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal. As heavy rainfall sweeps through these southern regions, questions remain about how well local civic bodies will handle waterlogged streets and protect vulnerable low-income settlements. Everyday commuters and coastal workers now wait to see if civic disaster preparations will prevent severe urban flooding and transit disruption.