Jaipur, Sept. 21 -- The southwest monsoon has begun withdrawing from Rajasthan, two days after its normal withdrawal date of September 17, but heavy showers are likely to continue in parts of the state's southeast region over the next few days. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Sunday that the monsoon had withdrawn from some parts of west Rajasthan and conditions were favourable for its further withdrawal from more parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Saurashtra and Kutch over the next three to four days. Most parts of the Jodhpur and Bikaner divisions in western Rajasthan are likely to remain dry over the next five to seven days, while most of eastern Rajasthan is also expected to remain mainly dry over the next five to six days. Isolated light rain is, however, likely in parts of the Kota and Udaipur divisions on September 20 and 21. The retreat does not signal an immediate end to rainfall across the state. A low-pressure system developing over the Bay of Bengal, along with the prevailing monsoon trough, is expected to keep rain activity alive over eastern and central parts of the country. Eastern Rajasthan, in particular, could continue to receive showers even as the monsoon withdraws from western districts. The withdrawal comes after a prolonged and uneven monsoon season. The southwest monsoon reached Kerala on June 4, three days later than its normal onset date, and covered the entire country by July 9, a day later than normal. In Rajasthan, it arrived on July 2, about a week later than usual, resulting in nearly 80 days of monsoon activity before the withdrawal began. Despite intense spells of rain in some pockets, the state has failed to meet its seasonal rainfall requirement. Rajasthan has recorded around 346 mm of rainfall against the normal 424.71 mm, leaving a cumulative deficit of around 18.5%. Uneven distribution has been a defining feature of this year's monsoon. While some districts received intense rainfall during individual spells, prolonged dry periods between rainy spells pulled down the state average. The national rainfall picture has also remained weak. As of September 19, cumulative rainfall across the country was around 15% below the long-period average, with the deficit persisting despite a brief improvement in July following a sharp shortfall in June and another below-normal spell in August and September. The start of the withdrawal has coincided with another spell of intense rainfall in southern and southeastern Rajasthan. Banswara recorded around eight inches of rain in the 24 hours ending Saturday, while Peepalkhoont in Pratapgarh received around seven inches and Manoharthana in Jhalawar around 5.15 inches. Although the monsoon has begun withdrawing from western Rajasthan, rainfall activity is likely to continue in parts of the east and southeast in the coming days. With the state already carrying a significant rainfall deficit, additional rain in these areas could help improve the seasonal tally and reservoir levels, although its distribution will remain as important as the overall quantum....