Monsoon over, Maharashtra warms up from early October; scattered showers likely in Konkan
Rain has stopped in many parts of the state after the monsoon season, with a deficit left from September and temperatures rising, raising worries for farmers.
A marked change in Maharashtra's weather has been visible since the start of October. With the monsoon season over, rain has stopped in many parts of the state and temperatures are rising in some places. The state received below-average rainfall until the end of September, leaving a rain deficit in many areas. This has increased the challenges facing agriculture, and people have begun to feel the heat of the sun in the very first days of October.
On October 2, light to moderate showers are likely in some parts of the Konkan. Light rain is possible in places in Palghar, Thane and the Mumbai region, so Mumbai and its suburbs may see intermittent cloud cover.
Thundershowers are possible at a few places in Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. However, heavy rain is not currently expected anywhere in the Konkan. Barring a few areas, the weather is expected to stay mostly dry.
Many parts of North Maharashtra will be partly cloudy, but the weather is forecast to remain mostly dry. The rain deficit persists, which has added to farmers' concern. If there is no rain in the coming days either, agriculture is likely to be affected.
In Western Maharashtra, light showers are possible at a few places in Ahilyanagar, Pune, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur. There is no heavy rain warning for now, so most of the region is likely to see hot and humid weather. With daytime temperatures rising, the "October heat" could feel sharper.
In Marathwada, rain has paused in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Parbhani, Beed, Hingoli, Nanded, Latur and Dharashiv districts. There is no heavy rain warning for the region at present. Clouds may appear in places, but heat and humidity are likely. If temperatures rise, ordinary people, along with farming, may suffer from the oppressive heat.
In Vidarbha too, there is no heavy rain warning for now in Akola, Amravati, Bhandara, Buldhana, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Nagpur and Washim. Rain has been absent for the past few days, and hot weather is likely to continue for some days.
Overall, thundershowers are possible on October 2 in parts of the Konkan and the Ghat areas, but indications are that rain will be weak in most of Maharashtra. The rain deficit from the end of September and the heat building since early October have created a different kind of challenge for farming and for ordinary people.
All eyes are now on how the returning monsoon becomes active in the next few days. Given the local weather changes, it will be important for people and farmers to keep track of the latest advisories from the weather department.
