Write a short note on the withdrawal of monsoon.

Withdrawal or the retreat of the monsoon is a more gradual process. The withdrawal of the monsoon begins in the north-western states of India by early September. By mid-October, it withdraws completely from the northern half of the peninsula. The withdrawal from the southern half of the peninsula is fairly rapid. By early December, the monsoon withdraws from the rest of the country. In the islands, the withdrawal takes place progressively from north to south from the first week of December to the first week of January.