Rainfall in Maharashtra, including Pune, recently saw a reduction in intensity, but the monsoon has not fully ceased. While the downpours have lessened, they have not stopped entirely. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) describes the current situation as a significant reduction in rainfall activity rather than a lull in the monsoon.
Most districts across the state, with the exception of Hingoli, have experienced normal or excess rainfall. Some areas have even seen a large surplus. Pune, Satara, and Kolhapur, particularly their ghat sections, have been hit with particularly heavy rainfall due to the active monsoon in July.
Medha Khole, head of the weather forecasting division at IMD-Pune, attributes the substantial rainfall surplus to the active monsoon in July, especially in the ghat sections of Pune, Satara, and Kolhapur. She highlights that the offshore trough activity and strong monsoon winds, persistent throughout July and the first week of August, have contributed to this excess rainfall.
However, the IMD’s extended range forecast predicts a decrease in rainfall over central India, including Maharashtra, until August 15th. After that date, between August 16th and August 23rd-24th, the monsoon activity is expected to intensify again over central India.
Sangli and Pune districts have topped the rainfall chart in Maharashtra this monsoon, with a surplus of 63% and 62%, respectively. Maharashtra has recorded a 31% rain surplus this season compared to the long-term average. Tamhini Ghat in Pune’s Mulshi taluka has become the first IMD station in the Western Ghats to surpass 7,000mm of cumulative rain this season. Its precipitation for the season stood at 7,011mm as of Saturday, according to IMD data.
A study of rainfall patterns this season shows that 25 out of 36 districts in Maharashtra received excess or large excess rain. This trend has been robust despite the recent decrease in rainfall.
