Rainfall recorded in Shivajinagar was 27.5 mm, and 22.2 mm at Lohegaon observatory, till 5.30 pm on Tuesday. (Representational)
After a relatively dry monsoon so far, Pune saw rainfall in the wee hours of Tuesday, which continued through the day.
Rainfall recorded in Shivajinagar was 27.5 mm, and 22.2 mm at Lohegaon observatory, till 5.30 pm on Tuesday. However, intense spells of rain were recorded in ghat areas. The 24-hour rainfall recorded since 8.30 am on Monday along the ghats areas was – 204 mm in Tamhini, 130 mm in Shirgaon, 130 mm in Koyana and 77 mm in Lonavala.
Amid rising concerns of drinking water, as all dams supplying water to the city have limited stocks, catchment areas also reported good rainfall on Monday and Tuesday. Rainfall reported in catchment areas as on Tuesday (8.30am) was – 59 mm in Pavana, 45 mm in Varasgaon, 41 mm in Panshet and 23 mm in Khadakwasla.
The Southwest monsoon brought moderate to heavy showers for areas in Konkan and Madhya Maharashtra on Tuesday. The formation of a low pressure area over Bay of Bengal made the monsoon enter its active phase after a prolonged dry spell.
“This resulted in the strengthening of monsoon winds coming from the Arabian Sea, causing widespread heavy to very heavy rainfall. Mumbai, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Palghar and Pune districts recorded good rainfall on the day. Heavy rain will continue over coastal and interior districts till August 6,” said an official from the Regional Meteorological Centre, Mumbai.
For the first time, India Meteorological Department(IMD), Pune, issued a special impact-based forecast for the city, which mentioned the possibility of minor landslides in hilly areas, water logging in low-lying areas, and inundation of roads and river banks leading to traffic snarls over the next two days.
A red alert has been issued for Pune, Nashik, Satara, Mumbai, Raigad, Thane and Palghar districts, where extremely heavy rain (more than 204.4 mm) is forecast at isolated places till Thursday. Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Aurangabad, Sangli and Kolhapur districts remain under yellow alert till Thursday.
A cyclonic circulation lay over Gujarat region, which, in the coming days, will bring intense rain over Kutch, Saurashtra and Gujarat, a forecast issued by IMD stated.
“After August 6, rainfall intensity will reduce,” said Anupam Kashyapi, head of weather department at IMD Pune.
“However, there is a chance of another system likely to form in the Bay of Bengal around August 11, which could bring rains back over the state,” he said.