The southwest monsoon began withdrawing from Pune on October 3, marking the city's earliest retreat since 2014.

The withdrawal came without a significant final spell of rain. Maharashtra ended the four-month season with a 17 per cent rainfall deficit.

The retreat is five days earlier than the previous earliest recorded withdrawal on October 8, 2023.

India recorded 759.4 mm of rainfall this monsoon season, or 87 per cent of the Long Period Average, making it the fourth-lowest seasonal rainfall since 2001.

For the October-December period, the IMD has forecast normal rainfall over south peninsular India but below-normal rainfall for most of the country, with above-normal temperatures expected through the month.

The India Meteorological Department says the monsoon has also withdrawn from most of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, completing one of the earliest retreats in recent years.

The early withdrawal matters for rabi sowing: farmers in Maharashtra watch soil moisture closely, and a dry October with above-normal temperatures can stress late kharif crops. Agri advisories recommend protective irrigation where water is available.