The 2023 southwest monsoon season ended on Saturday with the rainfall being 6 per cent lower than normal. That has classified the June to September season as “below-normal”, as cumulative rainfall was 94 per cent of the long-period average (LPA). During the four-month monsoon season, India Meteorological Department data shows that Himachal Pradesh experienced the highest number of floods and heavy rain events (123), while Bihar saw the most incidents of lightning in the country (85).