Pune: After enduring over two weeks of intense heat, Maharashtra is set to receive some respite as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted rainfall and a dip in temperatures across multiple regions of the state starting May 3.
The IMD has issued a yellow alert for areas including Vidarbha, north-central Maharashtra, and certain parts of the Konkan coast, valid from May 3 to 5. The alert warns of light to moderate rainfall, thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds up to 60 km/h.
According to IMD Pune officials, Pune is likely to witness light rain and cloudy skies on May 4 and 5. A drop of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius in the city’s temperature is also expected, which will offer relief from the persistent heat.
Pune has recently experienced unusually high temperatures, with daytime highs exceeding 40°C for nearly two consecutive weeks — the most such days recorded in over 10 years. Even nighttime temperatures in April remained consistently elevated. The first days of May continued this trend, with daytime readings about 2°C above average. On May 2, the city recorded a high of 40.6°C, which is 2.1°C above normal. The previous day, temperatures in Shivajinagar peaked at 41.2°C — the highest for May since 2019 and the second-highest in the past decade. Meanwhile, Dhamdhere recorded a nighttime low of 30.2°C, a figure currently being reviewed by the IMD.
Weather Changes Driven by Multiple Atmospheric Systems
The anticipated weather shift is being attributed to a combination of active weather systems over central India. These include:
A cyclonic circulation located over southern Punjab and neighboring parts of northern Rajasthan and western Haryana at mid-atmospheric levels
A separate upper-air cyclonic system over southwestern Rajasthan
Another cyclonic influence over northeastern Rajasthan and northwestern Madhya Pradesh
A trough stretching from this region into Bangladesh
An additional trough line extending from Punjab down to northern Kerala
These systems are collectively expected to trigger scattered to widespread rainfall, thunderstorms, and strong winds, especially across Vidarbha and surrounding districts, bringing a welcome cooldown for residents.
