Pune Likely To See Dry Weather For Next Few Days; Rain May Return Around July 20

Pune: After a brief break in the monsoon, rainfall activity is expected to return to Pune and other parts of Maharashtra from around July 20, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Until then, the city is likely to experience mostly dry weather, with only isolated spells of very light rain and occasional thunderstorms.

Weather experts said the current dry spell is part of the monsoon's "break" phase, which is affecting several parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and coastal Andhra Pradesh. Areas including Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Sindhudurg, the Ghat regions, Latur, Dharashiv and Amravati are also expected to witness limited rainfall over the next few days.

The IMD said the heavy rain that lashed Pune and many parts of Maharashtra last week was caused by a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal, an offshore trough along the Maharashtra coast and a shear zone. As these weather systems have weakened, rainfall has reduced significantly.

Dr Anupam Kashyapi, former Head of Weather Forecasting at the IMD, said some moisture remains in the atmosphere, which could lead to isolated light showers or thunderstorms in parts of Pune. However, widespread rainfall is not expected during the current dry spell.

She added that weather conditions are likely to improve from around July 20 with the possible formation of a fresh low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal and strengthening westerly winds over the Arabian Sea. These developments are expected to revive monsoon activity across Konkan, the Ghat regions and later Pune, Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.

Despite the temporary pause in rainfall, Pune has recorded 473.1 mm of rain since June 1, which is 241.8 mm above the seasonal average. Clear skies have also pushed up daytime temperatures, with several parts of the city recording maximum temperatures above 31 degrees Celsius on Monday.