Rain to intensify on immersion day; yellow-orange alerts in 21 Maharashtra districts
A low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is set to bring heavier rain on Ganpati immersion day, with alerts issued across the state.
Rain is likely to intensify further across Maharashtra on September 25, the day of Ganpati immersion, due to a low-pressure area that has formed over the Bay of Bengal, bringing a major change in the state's weather. The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for 18 districts and an orange alert for 3 districts, meaning people taking part in the Anant Chaturdashi immersion processions could face rain and stormy winds.
In the Konkan region, districts including Palghar, Thane, Mumbai, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg have seen a brief let-up in rain, though light to moderate showers remain likely in some spots. Rain could start suddenly during immersion, and people have been advised to stay alert.
In north Maharashtra, parts of Dhule, Nandurbar, Jalgaon and Nashik may stay dry, but some areas could see heavy rain along with light to moderate showers. Jalgaon has a yellow alert, with winds of 40 to 50 km/h expected along with thunderstorms and squally rain. The yellow alert in Jalgaon is likely to continue into the following day as well.
Rain is also forecast in central Maharashtra. Pune city, the Pune ghat areas and the Satara region could see light to moderate showers, though no alert has been issued for these areas at present. Kolhapur and Sangli may also see light to moderate rain in some places. Solapur, however, has a yellow alert, with heavy rain expected along with winds of 40 to 50 km/h.
Rain is expected to remain strong in Marathwada as well. Districts including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Parbhani, Beed, Hingoli, Nanded, Latur and Dharashiv could see moderate to heavy rain with thunder and lightning in some places. Winds of 40 to 50 km/h are also likely here, with the same conditions expected to continue for the next one to two days.
The heaviest rain is forecast in Vidarbha. Several districts including Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Gadchiroli, Nagpur, Wardha, Washim and Yavatmal are likely to see rain. Bhandara, Chandrapur and Gondia have been placed under an orange alert, with winds of 40 to 50 km/h, thunder and heavy to very heavy rain expected there.
In all, 18 districts of the state have been placed under a yellow alert and 3 under an orange alert on the day of Anant Chaturdashi. Rain is likely to remain strong in many parts of the state over the next one to two days, after which the weather may change again. With Ganpati immersion processions and events under way, residents have been urged to keep local weather forecasts in mind and take safety precautions.
