The southwest monsoon is withdrawing from large parts of north and central India, but its exit from peninsular India has been delayed by active weather systems.

Over the next 24 hours, the monsoon will further withdraw from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the weather office said.

Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon is expected to set in over the southern peninsula soon after, bringing a different kind of rainfall to Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh.

In the south, rain may continue in coastal Karnataka through October 6, and in Kerala and Mahe through the week. Meteorologists say any dry break for the south may be short-lived.

The transition between the two monsoons can be seamless in active years. The delayed withdrawal caps an unusually wet season for several regions, with October opening on a stormy note.

In the northeast, light to moderate rain with isolated heavy spells is likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya through the week, the weather office said.