Pune and its surrounding regions experienced light rain late on Monday and early on Tuesday morning. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its report released at 8.30 am said that the Shivajinagar region of the city has reported 3.7 mm of rainfall while other parts have reported similar or less rainfall.
Since the past 48 hours, Pune and its surrounding areas have seen cloudy skies with thundershowers and rain being predicted for the next two or three days. Lightning and dust storms were also predicted for the same time.
The rain, thundershowers, and lightning were mainly due to the presence of a western disturbance which lay as a trough in the middle tropospheric westerlies along the longitude 68 degree east and 15 degrees to the north of latitude. Another trough ran through the south of Konkan and central Chhattisgarh which is the result of the respite.
Western disturbance is the name given to moisture-bearing winds which lash the northern part of the country and bring rain.
The IMD report shows that Shivajinagar and other areas have started reporting thunderstorms since 4 in the morning. Pimpri Chinchwad, Pashan, Magarpatta, and other parts of the city have also reported rain and thundershowers since morning. The IMD has predicted light to very light showers for the next 24 to 48 hours.
The present rain comes after days of scorching sun and abnormally high temperatures. The IMD in its forecast has said parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan are expected to witness thunderstorms and rain for the next few days.
Pune and other parts of the state since February have witnessed extremely high temperatures. This was the hottest February in Pune since 1877, with the temperature going 5 to 9 degrees above the average. The IMD has forecast heat waves and an unusually hot summer for the next three months. This early onset of summer, the IMD had reasoned, was because of the lack of winter rain.
For the next three days, rain and thunderstorms will be witnessed in Marathwada, Madhya Maharashtra, and over Konkan, Goa, and Vidarbha regions, the IMD has said. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning are likely in Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada. The IMD has warned of lightning in parts of Marathwda and Vidarbha.
The weather watchdog has also talked of dust storms in some parts of the city for the next 24 hours. On Monday, the weather office issued a warning for thunderstorms with lightning at isolated places over Nagpur; light to moderate rainfall is likely in Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, and Yavatmal districts of Vidarbha. There is also a possibility of hail at isolated places over the Nagpur district of Vidarbha.