Lohegaon records 129.2 mm rainfall; IMD issues yellow alert for Pune till Sept 17

Pune faces a yellow alert until September 17 after heavy rainfall caused disruptions. Light to moderate rain is expected, easing from September 18.

After a spell of heavy showers that lashed the city from Sunday evening through Monday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Pune till September 17. Light to moderate rainfall has been forecast for the next two days, with conditions likely to ease from September 18, said officials.

The downpour caused major disruptions as several parts of the city were waterlogged during peak traffic hours, and the fire department reported at least 10 incidents of tree felling between Sunday and Monday. (MAHENDRA KOLHE/HT PHOTO)

The city has been in the grip of an active monsoon phase over the past 48 hours under the influence of multiple weather systems. This was the first major downpour of September, with several areas receiving substantial rainfall. Lohegaon recorded 129.2 mm between 8.30 am on September 14 and 8.30 am on September 15 — the first weather station in Pune to cross the 100 mm mark in a single day this month. Chinchwad followed with 82.5 mm, while Shivajinagar and Pashan reported 60 mm and 61.1 mm, respectively.

The downpour caused major disruptions as several parts of the city were waterlogged during peak traffic hours, and the fire department reported at least 10 incidents of tree felling between Sunday and Monday.

SD Sanap, senior meteorologist at IMD, said the rainfall is linked to multiple active weather systems. “A low-pressure area over north Telangana and adjoining Vidarbha has weakened, but the associated cyclonic circulation persists over east Vidarbha. Additional circulations over east Bihar, central Assam, Meghalaya, and the southeast Bay of Bengal are collectively influencing rainfall over Maharashtra and adjoining regions,” he said.

According to the IMD bulletin, Konkan, Goa, and Madhya Maharashtra will see light to moderate rainfall with isolated heavy showers till September 18. Marathwada is expected to receive significant rain till September 17, with very heavy spells likely on September 15 and 16.

Citizen reports under IMD’s ‘Varun Mitra’ initiative captured even more dramatic figures. Loni, on Pune’s eastern outskirts, registered 240 mm in 24 hours on September 15, while Sortapwadi, further east, reported 214.2 mm.

Former IMD Pune head KS Hosalikar described the Loni measurement as a “big number,” noting its rarity for September.