Pune: Hailstorms and steady rain brought much-needed relief to parts of the city on Wednesday evening, after days of intense heat and humidity.
Watch Video:
The weather changed suddenly around 5 pm as dark clouds covered the sky and rain began to lash several areas. Hailstorms were reported in Kothrud, Karve Nagar and Shivajinagar, surprising residents and quickly leading to videos going viral on social media.
The rain continued for around half an hour and helped bring down temperatures. Many people stepped out to enjoy the cooler weather after days of discomfort caused by rising heat and sticky humidity.
Neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad also received good rainfall, which residents described as soothing and refreshing.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier predicted rainfall across Western Maharashtra between the 19th and 23rd of April. While only light and scattered rain was seen in some parts of the district on Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday’s spell was more widespread and intense.
This is not the first time hailstorms have been seen in the region this month. Earlier in April, similar conditions were reported in Hinjawadi, Baner and Balewadi areas of Pune.
Hailstorms were also reported in parts of Sangli and Kolhapur about three days ago, indicating a wider weather pattern affecting Western Maharashtra.
Officials said such weather activity is likely to continue over the next few days, as per forecasts.
