Rain alert for several Maharashtra districts, Pune, Sangli, Kolhapur on watch
The weather department has issued rain alerts across Vidarbha, Marathwada, Konkan and parts of western Maharashtra through this week.
The weather has swung sharply over the past few days, with strong sunshine during the day even as several parts of the state saw light to moderate rain on Sunday and Monday. More rain has now been forecast for today, with an alert issued for several districts including Pune, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur.
The weather department has issued an alert for Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Wardha, Nagpur, Amravati, Akola, Buldhana, Hingoli, Washim and Yavatmal in Vidarbha, along with the ghat areas of Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Solapur, Pune, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur. Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts in Konkan have also been included in the list. Nashik, Palghar, Mumbai, Thane, Ahilyanagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Jalna are likely to see cloudy skies with very light drizzle.
A shortage of rain had led to a serious drinking water crisis in several places. Meanwhile, parts of the state including Ahilyanagar, Raigad and Pune saw heavy rain again on Monday, which is expected to ease the water problem to some extent and bring relief to crops.
Ahilyanagar district too received heavy rain after a long wait. The district had been on the verge of drought, and the rain has brought relief to farmers. Crops in several parts of the state had been on the verge of drying up, and good rain in the coming days could bring major relief to both farmers and livestock.
According to the weather department, Konkan and Goa are likely to see rain between September 22 and 27. Central Maharashtra may see moderate to widespread rain on September 22 and 23, while Marathwada may see it on September 23. Thunderstorms and lightning are also likely at some places in Konkan-Goa and central Maharashtra between September 21 and 24, and in Marathwada between September 21 and 23.
Strong winds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour are also expected in some areas. People have been urged to take full safety precautions during thunder, strong winds and rain.
