Monsoon revival in first week of September: New rain system building up

The southwest monsoon is showing signs of another push as a well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal moves inland, setting the stage for a fresh spell of rain across eastern and northern India in the opening days of September.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the system, currently over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining areas of north coastal Odisha and the northwest Bay of Bengal, is expected to move west-northwestwards.The system's influence will keep several parts of eastern and central India wet even as the monsoon season enters its final month. A rainbow arches over India Gate following rain, in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI) HEAVY RAIN TO LASH CENTRAL, EAST INDIAThe strongest spell is expected across Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand. The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall over Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand on Monday, August 31, while Odisha and Chhattisgarh are expected to see heavy rain through September 1.Isolated extremely heavy rainfall has also been forecast over Odisha on August 30 and 31, and Chhattisgarh on August 31. The system is already influencing weather over the region, and the well-marked low-pressure area is likely to move west-northwestwards across north Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal during the next 24 hours. A satellite image shows the weather conditions over India. (Photo: Windy) In other words, rain will not simply disappear from the region after September 1.The latest meteorological observations indicate continued rainfall over Chhattisgarh and parts of central India, with fairly widespread to widespread rain expected over West Madhya Pradesh from September 2 to 5.RAIN RETURNS TO NORTH INDIAThe system's broader influence, along with the monsoon trough, is also expected to keep parts of northern India wet.The IMD has forecast isolated to scattered rainfall over Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Punjab and West Uttar Pradesh from August 31 to September 5. An aerial view of floodwaters inundating residential areas in Madhya Pradesh. (Photo: PTI) East Uttar Pradesh is likely to remain particularly wet, with heavy rainfall forecast through September 5 and isolated very heavy rain expected on August 31.West Uttar Pradesh is also likely to receive heavy rain through the first week of September.For Delhi and the surrounding northern plains, this means the monsoon is not yet ready to retreat.It's more likely that intermittent rain will continue into the first days of September, although rainfall intensity will vary from place to place.MONSOON BEGINS FINAL MONTHThe developing spell is important because September is the final month of India's southwest monsoon season. A satellite image shows the weather systems over the Indian subcontinent. (Photo: IMD) Rather than a uniform revival across the country, however, the latest forecast points to a resurgence in monsoon rains only in some regions, with eastern, central and parts of northern India receiving the greater share of the rain.Meanwhile, the monsoon trough is currently extending from Amritsar through parts of north India to the well-marked low-pressure area over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining Odisha.The next few days could therefore bring a distinctly wetter start to September for several states, even as rainfall remains uneven across the country.- EndsPublished On: Aug 31, 2026 09:56 IST