The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted that Pune will continue to experience light to very light rainfall until August 31. While there isn’t any active weather system over the state, the intensity of winds originating from the Arabian Sea is expected to pick up. This has led to heavier rainfall in the ghat sections of Konkan Goa and Madhya Maharashtra over the last 48 hours.
An official from the IMD stated, “The rainfall intensity will reduce further in the next two days in the ghat areas.” Despite the reduction in rainfall intensity, some regions have still received notable precipitation. Lonavala recorded 64mm of rainfall while Tamini received 56mm within the last 24 hours.
Although Pune district falls within the Madhya Maharashtra region, the overall rainfall activity has remained modest. Kolhapur and Satara registered just 1mm and 2mm of rainfall respectively. However, the ghat section in Mahabaleshwar saw a more substantial amount, recording 26mm of rainfall.
In the Marathwad region, Osmanabad experienced 4mm of rainfall, Parbhani 17mm, and Beed 5mm. Conversely, no weather station in the adjacent Vidarbha region recorded any rainfall during the same period.
The forecast indicates that Maharashtra could potentially experience below-normal rainfall until September 6-7. This prediction has raised concerns for farmers, as many have already reported damage to their Kharif crops. Officials from the state agriculture department are closely monitoring the situation and urging local officials to assess the extent of the damage. The agriculture department expressed concerns over the potential loss of several Kharif crops if the rainfall activity doesn’t increase in the next two weeks.
As the city navigates these weather patterns, residents and agricultural stakeholders are keeping a close watch on the changing conditions and their potential impact on the region’s ecosystem and livelihoods.
