Rain, thunderstorms likely on Saturday as monsoon withdrawal begins

The IMD has forecast rain and thunderstorms across several regions on Saturday as conditions turn favourable for the southwest monsoon to withdraw from parts of West Rajasthan.Monsoon clouds gather over the Ganga river near Ram Jhula and Janaki Setu suspension bridges during the evening, in Rishikesh. (Photo: PTI)India is likely to see a mix of rain and thunderstorms on Saturday, September 19, even as the southwest monsoon begins showing signs of withdrawing from the country, according to the latest forecast from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).The IMD said conditions are becoming favourable for the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from some parts of West Rajasthan around September 19. At the same time, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the Andaman Sea and adjoining areas around September 19, which could influence rainfall activity over eastern and southern parts of the country in the days ahead.Rain over north IndiaOn Saturday, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad are likely to receive isolated to scattered rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning. Photo: IMD Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are also expected to see similar weather. In the plains, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab and West Uttar Pradesh are likely to receive isolated to scattered rainfall and thunderstorms on September 18 and 19.East Uttar Pradesh could see rain through September 20, while East Rajasthan is expected to become wetter from Saturday. The IMD has forecast isolated heavy rainfall over East Rajasthan on September 19. Central and western IndiaWest and East Madhya Pradesh are likely to experience fairly widespread to widespread rain and thunderstorms on September 18 and 19. Vidarbha is also expected to receive widespread rainfall during this period.In western India, Gujarat Region is likely to receive fairly widespread to widespread rainfall on September 18 and 19, while Saurashtra and Kutch could see isolated to scattered rain.The IMD has also warned of very heavy rainfall over Gujarat Region on September 18, while Madhya Maharashtra could experience heavy rain on Saturday.Rain continues in East and SouthEastern India will remain active, with rain and thunderstorms likely over Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal could also experience significant lightning activity.In the south, Kerala and Mahe and Lakshadweep are expected to receive fairly widespread to widespread rainfall through the coming days. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rayalaseema will also see varying levels of rain and thunderstorms.The emerging weather pattern marks a transition period for India, with monsoon withdrawal beginning in the northwest while rainfall remains active across several other regions.- EndsPublished By: Sibu Kumar TripathiPublished On: Sep 18, 2026 19:30 IST