The Northeast has experienced its driest southwest monsoon in 125 years, with East and Northeast India recording just 1,017.1 mm of rainfall during the June-September season, officials of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.  

The 2026 seasonal rainfall marks the lowest recorded for the region since the IMD's rainfall series began in 1901, highlighting an unusually significant departure from the region's typically wet monsoon pattern.

The rainfall deficit was particularly persistent across Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

According to the IMD, all three meteorological subdivisions recorded deficient rainfall in each of the four monsoon months -- June, July, August and September.

The prolonged shortfall assumes significance as the Northeast is traditionally among the country's highest-rainfall regions and remains heavily dependent on the southwest monsoon for agriculture, water resources and other economic activities.

At the national level, India also ended the four-month monsoon season below normal. The country received 759.4 mm of rainfall between June and September, making 2026 the 13th lowest monsoon season since 1901 and the fourth-lowest since 2001.

However, the rainfall deficit in the Northeast stood out against the broader national picture.

The situation did not change substantially in September despite episodes of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Assam towards the latter part of the month.

The IMD assessment indicated that these intense spells were insufficient to compensate for the cumulative seasonal deficit.

Alongside the rainfall shortfall, the region also experienced an unusually warm September. East and Northeast India recorded a mean temperature of 27.95 degrees Celsius, which was 0.74 degrees above normal.

It was the sixth-highest September mean temperature recorded for the region since 1901.

The weather outlook for October remains mixed. The IMD has forecast below-normal rainfall over most parts of the country, while some areas of East India could receive normal to above-normal rainfall.

For most of the Northeast, maximum temperatures are expected to remain around normal, while minimum temperatures are likely to be normal to below normal, indicating continued variability in weather conditions as the region moves into the post-monsoon period.