Pune's rainy respite to be short-lived, temperature to soar warns climatology expert

Heavy rain lashed Pune city on Monday evening, providing some relief to residents from the summer heat. However, the respite is expected to be temporary, as a warning has been issued by climatology researcher Vineet Kumar, stating that the temperature is likely to rise in the coming days. 

According to Kumar, the temperature in Pune may reach 40-42 degrees Celsius on May 11-12, leading to a possible heatwave in the city. Even if it rains during this period, the temperature is still expected to increase, posing a health risk to citizens. As a precautionary measure, he has advised Punekars to stay indoors as much as possible and avoid stepping out unnecessarily during the expected heatwave.

The rainfall in Pune is likely to subside from May 9 to May 16, and the rise in temperature is expected to persist.

The downpour in several areas of the city on Monday, including Kothrud, Dhayri, Sinhagad Road, Narhe, and Ambegaon, could be attributed to a Cyclone forming in the Bay of Bengal. The IMD had forecasted rainfall for Monday and Tuesday in Pune. According to the forecast, thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, light to moderate rain, and gusty winds with speeds of 30-40kmph were very likely to occur at isolated places on Monday. On Tuesday, light to moderate rain or thundershowers are expected in the city. While no rainfall has been predicted on May 10, 11 and 12. 

A low-pressure area formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a cyclone and is likely to move towards the Bangladesh-Myanmar coast later this week, the weather office said.

The cyclone will be named Mocha (Mokha), a name suggested by Yemen after the Red Sea port city, which is known to have introduced coffee to the world over 500 years ago.