The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has yet not declared that monsoon has retreated from India. The usual date of return is September 1. However, this does not mean that the country will receive rains in the month of September, the last of four months of monsoon.
"We declare retreat of monsoon when the winds start to reverse, especially in Rajasthan. During monsoon, a cyclone is formed over western Rajasthan. When the winds form an anti-cyclone, technically only then we can say that monsoon is retreating," said B P Yadav, director, IMD. He added, "However, moisture in the air has reduced and other indicators also show that it is not going to rain much."