Monsoon retreats from Maharashtra but heavy rain warning stays for Konkan, Vidarbha
As the monsoon withdraws from most of Maharashtra, the weather department warns of heavy showers in Konkan and Vidarbha even as Mumbai swelters.
The rain that has been lashing Maharashtra for the past two months has now begun to withdraw. Even so, cloudy conditions persist in some areas, and the Meteorological Department has forecast rain with thunder and lightning there.
The monsoon has fully withdrawn from Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. It has also retreated from parts of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. However, an intense low-pressure area is still active over northeastern Madhya Pradesh and northern Chhattisgarh, and rain is now easing there too.
Maharashtra is currently seeing mixed conditions. People in many parts of the state are still waiting for rain, while some places are getting light showers followed by renewed heat. According to the Meteorological Department's forecast, isolated rain is likely in eastern Vidarbha and parts of Konkan. Light showers with thunder have been forecast for Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Thane, the Nashik ghat area, Pune ghat area, Satara ghat area, Kolhapur ghat area, Sangli, Satara, Pune, Solapur, Ahilyanagar, Beed, Dharashiv and Latur districts. The rest of the state will see only cloudy skies with more intense heat.
Even as rain recedes from the state, Vidarbha has been hit by the effects of heavy rain in neighbouring Chhattisgarh. Heavy rain over the past two days in Chhattisgarh and Gadchiroli district has caused flooding in Bhamragad taluka. Water levels in the Indravati, Pamlagautam and Palkota rivers have risen sharply, worsening the situation in Bhamragad. The floods have cut off more than 50 villages in Bhamragad taluka from the outside world, leaving residents stranded.
Meanwhile, Mumbai residents have been struggling with the heat. Temperatures in the city have risen by 1 to 2 degrees over the past few days, and Saturday saw intense heat as well. Colaba recorded a maximum temperature of 33.2 degrees Celsius, with the minimum also higher than usual. This is the highest September temperature recorded in the city in the past five years. The previous high was 33.5 degrees Celsius, recorded at Colaba on 7 September 2020.
Overall, while the monsoon has withdrawn from the state, light showers are expected to continue in Konkan and the ghat areas. Where rain does not fall, heat and humidity are likely to intensify further. The state is expected to see similar mixed weather over the coming days.
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