New Delhi: The national capital’s southwest monsoon drew to a close on Wednesday, leaving the city a day earlier than usual and marking its earliest retreat since 2002. The season, which arrived on June 29, spanned 88 days, making it the ninth shortest monsoon period recorded in the capital since 2001. The brief duration, however, did little to dampen the city’s overall rainfall, which proved well above average.

During the season, rain was recorded on 63 of the 88 days, accounting for roughly 71 per cent of the monsoon period, the fourth highest proportion observed in more than two decades. At Safdarjung, the official meteorological station, total rainfall reached 902.6mm, nearly 41 per cent above the long-term average of 640.4mm.

Across Delhi’s various districts, the average stood at 7

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