Maharashtra Prepares for a Soaked Monsoon
Maharashtra to Bathe in Above-Normal Rainfall
Get ready for a wetter-than-usual monsoon season in Maharashtra! The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has released its long-range forecast, and it predicts above-normal rainfall for all four meteorological subdivisions in the state throughout the June to September monsoon season.
Central and South India to See Above-Normal Rainfall
This good news isn’t just for Maharashtra. The IMD forecasts above-normal rainfall for Central India, including Maharashtra, as well as South Peninsular India. The monsoon core zone (MCZ), which is crucial for the country’s rain-fed agricultural regions, is also expected to receive more than its usual share of rain.
Specific Projections for Maharashtra’s Subdivisions
Here’s a breakdown of the expected rainfall for each subdivision in Maharashtra:
- Central Maharashtra: 110% of normal rainfall
- Marathwada: 112% of normal rainfall
- Konkan & Goa: 107% of normal rainfall
- Vidarbha: 109% of normal rainfall
These figures suggest that Maharashtra is in for a particularly wet monsoon this year.
Early Arrival and Potential Break
The southwest monsoon arrived in India earlier than usual this year, thanks to favorable atmospheric and oceanic conditions. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the Director General of Meteorology at the IMD, explained that a new weather system forming over the Bay of Bengal is expected to strengthen and further advance the monsoon.
While current rainfall is expected to continue for the next two to three days, Mohapatra cautioned that it’s too early to predict the likelihood or timing of any potential monsoon breaks.
Pune Feels the Monsoon’s Touch
Pune experienced widespread moderate rainfall on Tuesday, May 27th, with some areas seeing significant downpours. The city’s temperature also dropped sharply, reaching its lowest point in May since 2015.
Weather Systems Influencing the Region
SD Sanap, a senior meteorologist at IMD Pune, explained that a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, a cyclonic circulation over South Chhattisgarh and adjoining East Vidarbha, and a trough over north Konkan and the Arabian Sea are all contributing to the current rainfall activity. These systems are expected to bring widespread rainfall to the coastal areas of Maharashtra, prompting an orange alert for those regions.
While Pune is expected to see mainly cloudy skies with chances of light rainfall over the next two days, isolated moderate to heavy rainfall is likely in the ghat sections, leading to a yellow alert until May 29th.
