41°C days: Monsoon rain dries in North India, heat returns without delay
Even as rain continues to lash several parts of the country, a city in the west has delivered a concerning preview about what awaits India after the last rains are gone.
On September 22, Jaisalmer recorded a maximum temperature of 41.5°C, marking the highest anywhere in the country that day, according to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD). That's an unusually high number for late September, a time when most of India expects cooler, drier air to have set in. A view of a man walking a camel near a sand dune in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. (Photo: Unsplash)
Jaisalmer wasn't alone in running warm.
IMD data shows several regions logging temperatures well above normal, including Vidarbha, Assam & Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Marathwada and north interior Karnataka all saw daytime temperatures 3-5C higher than usual, with pockets of Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim seeing even sharper spikes.
The rising temperatures are tied directly to the monsoon's retreat. A weather map illustrating the monsoon's withdrawal so far. (Source: IMD)
The IMD noted that the withdrawal line now cuts through Jaisalmer, Nagaur, Sikar, Rohtak, Patiala and Gurdaspur.
Furthermore, the conditions are turning favourable for the monsoon to pull back further from Punjab, Haryana-Delhi, parts of Rajasthan, Saurashtra & Kutch, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and western Uttar Pradesh over the next two days.
As monsoon clouds thin out and clear skies take over in the northwest, the sun gets a freer hand to heat the ground, which is why daytime temperatures tend to climb quickly right after withdrawal.
This brings a contrast in the nation's climate, as eastern and central India continue to battle heavy rain and a deep depression brewing over the Bay of Bengal.Well marked low pressure area over West central & adjoining eastcentral Bay of Bengal. pic.twitter.com/rknVJpeWwU— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) September 21, 2026WILL THE WINTER BE WARM TOO?
Then comes the most worrying part; there is a possibility that unseasonal heat might escape September and travel all the way through winter.
Weather agencies, including the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), have said that El Nino has strengthened through 2026 and is expected to persist into the winter of 2026-27.
El Nino is a climate phenomenon involving the periodic warming of the Pacific Ocean that tends to push up temperatures and affect weather patterns globally. A satellite image of a warming Pacific Ocean due to El Nino. (Photo: Windy)
El Nino years are typically associated with above-normal temperatures over India, meaning both the coming winter and next summer could run warmer than usual.
In that sense, Jaisalmer's early heat may well be a preview of what's ahead.- EndsPublished By: Published On: Sep 23, 2026 13:08 IST
