Monsoon covers Pune, earliest onset in 63 years

The southwest monsoon made an unseasonably early entry into Pune on Monday, marking its earliest arrival in the city in over six decades. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the northern limit of the monsoon now passes through Mumbai, Pune, and Solapur. The IMD has confirmed that rainfall recorded in these districts from Sunday will be officially counted as monsoon rainfall, despite the usual onset date being June 1.

This is the earliest monsoon onset in Pune since May 29, 1962. The advancement was accompanied by heavy rainfall in parts of the Pune district, especially in the ghat regions, bringing waterlogging, tree-fall incidents, and power outages in several areas.

“The southwest monsoon has made its arrival in Pune. There are no records since 1962 about such an early arrival of Monsoon in Pune district, hence this is a historical arrival for Pune,” said SD Sanap, Senior Meteorologist, IMD, Pune.

Heavy downpour on Sunday battered several parts of Pimpri Chinchwad and Maval tehsil, with Lonavla recording an intense 234 mm of rainfall in 24 hours. Chinchwad received 20.5 mm of rainfall between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm on May 26.

The downpour led to waterlogging along service roads of the Pune-Mumbai highway, especially near Wakad and Balewadi. An underpass at Dattawadi was closed due to flooding. Rainfall in other areas ranged between 20 mm and 30 mm.

Power outages and tree-fall incidents

The Pune city fire department reported at least six tree-fall incidents by 4:30 pm on May 26. Widespread rainfall also caused power disruptions in parts of Kothrud, Kondhwa, and nearby areas. The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) teams were deployed to restore the electricity supply.

Forecast and alerts

IMD has issued an orange alert for the ghat areas in Pune district for May 27, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall. A yellow alert is in place for Pune city, where rainfall is expected to be in the moderate to heavy range. From May 28 onward, rainfall activity is expected to subside slightly. Yellow alerts have been issued for the ghat sections on May 28 and 29, while no alerts have been issued for the city between May 28 and May 30.

“Rainfall activity is likely to continue in the ghat areas with varying intensity, so people are advised to avoid travel to these locations during the alert period,” said SD Sanap, senior meteorologist, IMD Pune.

The district administration has appealed to citizens to follow safety advisories, avoid venturing into hilly areas, and stay alert as the early monsoon brings with it the usual seasonal challenges.