Chandigarh, Sept. 25 -- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) declared monsoon's departure from Chandigarh on Wednesday, marking its earliest exit since 2001.

This year's monsoon withdrawal on September 24 is just a day after the normal date calculated for this year, which was September 23. Since 2001, when the monsoon left on September 18, the retreat has mostly occurred towards the end of September or the beginning of October.

Speaking about this, IMD Chandigarh director Surender Paul said, "In the recent years, we have observed a trend where the monsoon's arrival has been delayed and its stay has also continued for a longer time. This year, the second half of the monsoon was also quite active, further intensified by active Wester...