States » NorthPosted at: Nov 12 2026 11:45PM


Punjab, Haryana swing from surplus monsoon to severe rainfall deficit; 29 districts affected: IMD

Kamlesh Kali
Panchkula, Nov 12 (UNI) Punjab and Haryana witnessed a sharp reversal in monsoon rainfall in 2026, with both states slipping from substantial rainfall surpluses last year to deficits of 38 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively, while 29 of their 44 districts recorded deficient or largely deficient rainfall, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The IMD's southwest monsoon season reports for June 1 to September 30 show that Punjab, which received 41 per cent above-normal rainfall in 2025, recorded a 38 per cent deficit this year. Haryana's rainfall swung from 34 per cent above normal in 2025 to 25 per cent below normal in 2026.
The year-on-year reversal amounted to 79 percentage points in Punjab and 59 percentage points in Haryana.
Punjab received 272.8 mm of rainfall against its long-period average of 439.8 mm, a shortfall of 167 mm. Haryana recorded 322.5 mm against its normal of 430.7 mm, receiving 108.2 mm less rain than the seasonal average.
The deficits in both states were considerably higher than the six per cent shortfall recorded across northwest India, which received 553 mm of rainfall against its normal of 587.6 mm.
The IMD reports reveal that Punjab experienced a more widespread rainfall shortage than Haryana.
Of Punjab's 22 districts, 13 received deficient rainfall and six recorded large deficiencies. Only two districts received excess rainfall, while one recorded normal rainfall.
Haryana reported deficient rainfall in 10 of its 22 districts, while 11 received normal rainfall and one recorded excess rainfall. No Haryana district fell into the large-deficient category for the full monsoon season.
September emerges as worst month
September proved particularly severe for both states, with 37 of their combined 44 districts recording deficient or largely deficient rainfall.
Punjab received just 29.5 mm of rainfall against its normal of 77.7 mm during September, a deficit of 62 per cent. Seventeen districts recorded large deficiencies, while another three received deficient rainfall.
Haryana recorded 43.5 mm against its September average of 77.2 mm, a shortfall of 44 per cent. Seven districts fell into the large-deficient category and another 10 recorded deficient rainfall during the month.
Taken together, 24 districts across the two states experienced large rainfall deficiencies in September alone.
Punjab recorded below-normal rainfall throughout the four-month monsoon season. Rainfall was 46 per cent below normal in June, 26 per cent in July, 35 per cent in August and 62 per cent in September.
Haryana recorded a 45 per cent deficit in June and 27 per cent in July. Conditions improved during August, when the shortfall narrowed to six per cent, before deteriorating again in September.
During August and September combined, Punjab received 124 mm against its normal of 223.9 mm, a deficit of 45 per cent. Haryana received 182.3 mm against 224.9 mm, a shortfall of 19 per cent.
Kapurthala records 71% deficit, Jind 57%
The district-level figures expose substantial differences in rainfall distribution.
Punjab's Kapurthala district recorded the state's largest rainfall deficit at 71 per cent, while Pathankot received 34 per cent above-normal rainfall and Gurdaspur 25 per cent above normal. Amritsar was the only district in the normal rainfall category.
In Haryana, Jind recorded the sharpest deficit at 57 per cent, while Palwal was the only district to receive excess rainfall, registering a 20 per cent surplus.
Despite the overall shortage, several locations experienced intense rainfall during short spells.
Kalka in Haryana's Panchkula district recorded 21 cm of rainfall on August 31, while Indri in Karnal district received 19 cm on July 10.
In Punjab, Amritsar recorded 19 cm of rainfall on July 22. Shahpur Kandi in Pathankot district and Tibri in Gurdaspur district each recorded 19 cm on August 19.
These episodes underline the uneven distribution of rainfall, with intense localised downpours occurring even as seasonal totals remained substantially below normal.
The IMD's daily rainfall assessments show that Haryana experienced notable rainfall spells around July 9-11 and August 9-11, while Punjab recorded significant increases around July 21 and August 18-22.
Both states fare worse than northwest India
The rainfall deficit in Punjab was more than six times the northwest Indian regional shortfall in percentage terms, while Haryana's deficit was more than four times the regional figure.
Across India, the southwest monsoon delivered 759.4 mm of rainfall against its long-period average of 868.6 mm, representing a deficit of 13 per cent.
The southwest monsoon entered parts of Punjab and Haryana on July 1 and covered both states completely by July 9. Withdrawal began from parts of the two states on September 21 and was completed on September 30.
The IMD reports also show that the 2026 rainfall totals were not historical lows. Punjab's lowest recorded seasonal rainfall during 1901-2026 was 170.7 mm in 1987, while Haryana's lowest was 196.2 mm in 1918.
Nevertheless, the transition from above-normal rainfall in 2025 to widespread deficiencies in 2026, particularly the sharp September shortfall, marks a substantial change in the monsoon performance of the two agriculturally important states.
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Tags: #Punjab# Haryana swing from surplus monsoon to severe rainfall deficit; 29 districts affected: IMD
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