IMD upgrades rain alert for next 24 hours

Unseasonal rain and hailstorms hit Maharashtra, prompting the IMD to issue an orange alert for several districts, predicting more intense weather.

Unseasonal rain accompanied by hailstorms battered several parts of Maharashtra over the past two days, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to upgrade its weather alert for the next 24 hours.

The city is expected to witness light rainfall at isolated locations during this period, said SD Sanap, senior meteorologist, IMD Pune. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

Pune district remains under a yellow alert for the next 24 hours. The city is expected to witness light rainfall at isolated locations during this period, said SD Sanap, senior meteorologist, IMD Pune.

On Tuesday, hailstorms were reported in Dharashiv district, while similar conditions were witnessed in Kapurhole village in Bhor tehsil of Pune district on Wednesday. Apart from hail, rainfall activity has impacted multiple districts across the state.

According to the IMD’s latest weather bulletin, the current conditions are being driven by an upper air cyclonic circulation over central parts of Madhya Pradesh. A trough extends from this system to north interior Karnataka in the lower tropospheric levels. Additionally, another trough runs from the Gulf of Mannar to south interior Karnataka. Under the combined influence of these systems, parts of Maharashtra are experiencing rainfall, with isolated hailstorm activity.

The Regional Meteorological Centre, Mumbai, in its colour-coded warning issued on March 18, has upgraded the alert from yellow to orange for several districts, including Jalgaon, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ahilyanagar, Beed, Parbhani and Nanded, indicating the likelihood of more intense weather activity.