Heavy rains to continue till Friday

PUNE: India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that red alert for heavy rains will continue till August 9 especially in the ghat regions near Pune, Nashik and Satara. On August 7 central Maharashtra, Konkan and Goa including parts of Mumbai and Vidarbha may witness extremely heavy rainfall. Light to moderate rains are predicted for Marathwada till August 9.

Speaking to Sakal Times, Anupam Kashyapi, Head of weather at IMD Pune, said that the rains are going to continue till August 9. “IMD has predicted that Konkan and Goa region will have widespread rainfall on August 8 and August 9 and central Maharashtra shall also have widespread rainfall till August 7. Marathwada may receive a little less rainfall that is scattered rains but light to moderate till August 7. Vidarbha is expected to receive fairly widespread rainfall on August 8 and August 9,” said Kashyapi.

According to IMD, under the influence of the cyclonic circulation over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining north Bay of Bengal and Bangladesh, a low pressure area has formed over north Bay of Bengal and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal. 

IMD also stated that the monsoon trough at mean sea level now passes through Anupgarh, Sikar, Nowgong, Ambikapur, Chaibasa, Midnapur and thence to the centre of low pressure area over north Bay of Bengal. The trough from south Gujarat runs up to the cyclonic circulation associated with the low pressure area over north Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood across north Maharashtra, south Chhattisgarh and south Odisha.

Under the influence of these, there is good rainfall across Maharashtra.

For this monsoon season, that is between June 1 to August 5, Maharashtra has reported a 27 per cent excess rainfall.

On Monday, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Suburban Mumbai and Thane received large excess rainfall. Konkan and Goa, between June 1 to August 5 has received 45 per cent excess rainfall.  

Also, Ahmednagar, Dhule, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Nandurbar, Nashik, Pune, Sangli and Satara from central Maharashtra have received large excess rainfall. Central Maharashtra now has an excess of 58 per cent between June 1 to August 5.

Marathwada still has 18 per cent rainfall deficiency whereas Vidarbha is at five per cent deficiency for the same time period.

According to IMD, there is a 7 per cent rainfall deficiency across the country. Central India is now at 2 per cent with excess rains. Northwest region of the country is 10 per cent rainfall deficiency and east and northwestern india has 13 per cent rainfall deficiency followed by south peninsula with 15 per cent rainfall deficiency.