The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain in 15 districts of the state today. As per the MeT department, Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, and Ratnagiri districts will witness heavy downpours on Saturday.
A ‘yellow alert’ has also been issued for Pune, Satara, Kolhapur, Sangli, and Solapur districts. A ‘yellow alert’ has been issued for Marathwada. Heavy rains are expected in North Maharashtra. There is a possibility of thunderstorms with lightning and strong winds in Nagpur, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Wardha and Yavatmal in Vidarbha.
It is worth noting that the heavy rains that arrived with the onset of the monsoon in Sindhudurg had subsided for a while but returned briefly. However, after two days of rainfall, the showers have once again receded, and the district has experienced hot weather over the past two days. Despite the dry spell, farmers have begun transplanting paddy seedlings that are ready for planting. Since paddy seedlings are ideally transplanted within 21 days, any delay beyond this period can lead to lower yields. As a result, farmers have started the transplantation process without waiting for further rainfall.
Although there has not been enough rain for rice planting, rice seedlings are being planted by pumping water from the river.
Here are some of the key details
- The intensity of rainfall in Mumbai is expected to increase again from Saturday.
- Mumbai witnessed heavy downpours on the very first day after the arrival of the monsoon, leading to widespread waterlogging and disruption.
- After the rain eased over the next two days, many residents began wondering whether the monsoon had disappeared altogether.
- Heavy rainfall is likely to return to the city over the weekend.
- In its latest update, the department has predicted light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning in Mumbai on June 27 and 28.
- A Yellow Alert has been issued for the city for these two days.
- Mumbai recorded only scattered rainfall on Friday, leading to a rise in temperatures once again.
- The maximum temperature was recorded at 31.6°C in Colaba and 33.6°C in Santacruz.
- On Thursday, the maximum temperature stood at 28.8°C in Colaba and 32.2°C in Santacruz.
Temperatures rise in Pune as rainfall eases
On Monday, the southwest monsoon arrived in Pune, bringing light to moderate rainfall to the city’s central areas as well as its suburbs for two days. The ghat regions witnessed heavy showers, raising hopes among residents that the delayed June rains had finally arrived, albeit later than usual.
However, no rainfall was recorded on Thursday afternoon or throughout Friday. As a result, temperatures rose noticeably on Friday compared to the previous two days. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 34.3°C, which was around 4 degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature stood at 22.9°C. The intensity of rainfall also declined across the district, although the ghat regions continued to receive intermittent showers during the day.