Pune: All eyes are on the monsoon as summer draws to a close. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Sunday that day temperatures will continue to drop until May 29. The maximum temperatures in the city are expected to remain between 37°C and 38°C over the next few days due to increasing cloud cover.
Recent Temperature Drop
Sunday was cooler compared to previous days. Shivajinagar and Lohegaon recorded temperatures of 34.9°C and 35.6°C, respectively, which are below the normal by 1.7°C and 1°C. Met officials stated that this was the first significant drop in daytime temperatures in the last two months.
Weather Conditions Ahead
Clear skies during the day are likely to become cloudy by evening, with the possibility of thunderstorms, lightning, and light rainfall in isolated parts of the city. S D Sanap, senior scientist at IMD Pune, told TOI, “There is excessive moisture incursion over the city and adjoining districts, hence the cloudy conditions over the last 48 hours and a drop in daytime temperature. It is expected to continue for the next two days. Thereafter, we expect some rise in daytime temperatures again, but temperatures are likely to remain below 40°C.”
Parts of the city experienced drizzle and weather conditions remained mostly cloudy, particularly in the evening, accompanied by windy conditions on Sunday. People have been advised to remain cautious during thunderstorms.
Regional Weather Update
The Met department forecast sporadic rainfall activity in parts of Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra, and Marathwada, while Vidarbha is expected to continue experiencing dry weather conditions. “Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, some districts in Konkan, and Dharashiv district have received rainfall in isolated pockets. There is a possibility of more spells of rain in the coming days,” an IMD official said.
Some districts in Madhya Maharashtra recorded a drop in daytime temperatures. Mahabaleshwar recorded 25.2°C, the lowest daytime temperature in the state. However, in the Vidarbha region, all districts recorded temperatures above 40°C. Brahmapuri recorded 47.2°C, which was 4.6°C above the normal.
Monsoon Progress
Met officials said the southwest monsoon has covered the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Sunday and is expected to advance further into the Andaman Sea before setting over Kerala, with an expected onset date of May 26. “We cannot rule out the possibility of a delay of a couple of days over Kerala which may affect further progress of the monsoon. Usually, it reaches Konkan between June 7 and June 10,” another IMD official said.
Meanwhile, families made the most of the last weekend at Diveaghar beach in the Konkan before the water rides formally close on Monday for the monsoon.
