E-Paper
IMD forecasts partial revival of monsoon in Maha, Pune to have cloudy skies
The southwest monsoon is set to revive in Maharashtra after a two-week break, with light to heavy rainfall expected in different areas of the state. The break in the monsoon has caused concerns for the agricultural sector, and this year's break is one of the most prolonged breaks on record. The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for thunder and lightning in certain areas, but no warning has been issued for Pune district, where light rainfall is expected.
After a break of nearly two weeks, the southwest monsoon is about to revive in Maharashtra. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), there are indications of a partial revival of the monsoon in Maharashtra from Thursday. While most areas of the state will receive light to moderate rainfall, some areas may receive moderate to heavy rainfall from Friday, said an IMD official.
The monsoon has taken a break since the beginning of August, however, weather experts had warned of a long break and a weak revival in the second half of August. As forecasted, there are now indications of a monsoon revival in Maharashtra in the next 24 hours.
Vaishali Khobragade, meteorologist, weather forecasting division, IMD Pune, said that the monsoon trough lying at the foothills of the Himalayas has now moved southwards. “There are also indications of a low-pressure belt developing over the Bay of Bengal due to which the monsoon is expected to revive, with active monsoon conditions in most areas of Maharashtra from August 17,” she said.
Anupam Kashyapi, head, weather forecasting division, IMD Pune, said, “There will be a partial revival of the monsoon in Maharashtra from August 17. Slowly, rainfall activity will increase, especially over the Vidarbha, Marathwada and Konkan regions. A yellow alert has been issued in these areas due to chances of thunder and lightning. There are also chances of isolated heavy rain from August 18 or 19.”
Prolonged break
This year, the monsoon arrived late and after a month of active conditions, took a break. A more than 10 days’ lull in the monsoon across Maharashtra has created worrisome conditions, especially for the agricultural sector. According to weather experts, this year’s monsoon break is one of the most prolonged breaks on record.
Madhavan Rajeevan, former secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), said, “ The current monsoon break is one of the most prolonged spells on record. It is already 10 days of this condition and it is likely to continue for two to three days more. The longest ‘consecutive’ break spell was July 18 to August 3 in 1972, a monsoon-deficient year. In July 2002, at least 24 days were break days.”
Cloudy weather with light rainfall for Pune district
While the IMD has forecasted a partial revival of the monsoon in Maharashtra and issued a colour-coded warning in areas where rainfall and thunder are expected in the coming days, there is no warning issued for Pune district. “Pune city will mainly experience cloudy weather for the next few ways. There are chances of light rainfall in the city and adjoining areas during the afternoons or evenings,” Khobragade said.
