Pune city experienced its coolest April in a decade this year. The highest maximum temperature recorded at Shivajinagar on April 5 was 39.6 degrees Celsius.
This year’s April was also the first April since 2013 when the city’s highest maximum temperature was below 40 degrees Celsius.
So far, the city’s hottest April ever recorded was in 1897 (43.3 degrees Celsius) and in the recent past, it was in 2019 (43 degrees Celsius).
India Meteorological Department officials said the ongoing thunderstorms experienced across Maharashtra (except the Konkan region) are the main factor keeping maximum temperatures within normal range.
“The prevailing north-south trough running between north Bihar and south Tamil Nadu facilitated moisture incursion over the state. This created cloudy sky conditions which prevailed across Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha subdivisions on most days, particularly during afternoon and evening hours. Light to moderate rain and hail contributed to lowering the maximum temperature on most days in April,” said an IMD official.
This week, rains were recorded over four consecutive days with hail on one day over Pune. From March 1 to April 30, the city’s rainfall was 33 mm, which was a surplus of 50 per cent for the March and April period.
Maharashtra, which recorded 38 per cent surplus rainfall in March and April, is among the few states to benefit from rainfall at regular intervals, especially in April.
