Thundershowers likely in Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra; heat to rise as monsoon withdrawal nears
The IMD says rain will ease across Maharashtra in the coming days, with the retreating monsoon expected to reach the state in 4 to 5 days.
Maharashtra is seeing mixed weather these days. Some districts are getting rain, while people in the rest of the state are troubled by harsh sun and humidity. According to the latest information from the weather department, rain with lightning is likely in Konkan and Madhya Maharashtra. However, the intensity of the rain is gradually easing, and the heat of the sun is expected to increase in the coming days.
For today, September 29, an alert for rain with lightning has been issued for Raigad, Ratnagiri, Thane, Pune Ghatmatha, Satara Ghatmatha, Kolhapur Ghatmatha, Nashik Ghatmatha, Nashik, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Ahilyanagar and Solapur districts. Light showers are possible in Palghar, Mumbai, Sindhudurg, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Beed districts. Even so, the chance of this rain covering the whole state is very low.
From tomorrow, Wednesday, the intensity of the rain will fall further. Satara, Satara Ghatmatha, Kolhapur, Kolhapur Ghatmatha and Sindhudurg districts may get rain with lightning. Nashik Ghatmatha, Palghar, Nashik, Thane, Mumbai, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Pune Ghatmatha, Pune, Ahilyanagar, Solapur and Sangli districts may see light showers with lightning. The rest of the state will remain mostly dry, and the sun is expected to get harsher.
According to the weather department, both maximum and minimum temperatures in Konkan and Madhya Maharashtra are likely to stay above average from October 1. Between October 9 and 22, temperatures may rise considerably in other parts of the state as well. Early October will thus bring rain showers on one hand and intense humidity on the other.
Signs of the monsoon's return are now appearing in Maharashtra. The weather department has said the retreating monsoon is likely to reach Maharashtra in the next 4 to 5 days. During this time, parts of Konkan and Madhya Maharashtra may receive showers of returning rain.
But the arrival of the retreating monsoon does not mean rain will stop completely across the state at once. Depending on local weather systems, moisture in the air and wind conditions, rain may continue in some areas in October too. Under the weather department's norms, the withdrawal of the monsoon is officially declared only when certain weather conditions persist continuously.
On the current status of the withdrawal, the southwest monsoon winds have already retreated from most of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, including the national capital Delhi, and parts of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday, September 23. Since then, the withdrawal has remained stalled at the same place.
For now, the limit of the withdrawal runs through Gurdaspur, Chandigarh, Muzaffarnagar, Aligarh, Dholpur, Udaipur, Deesa and Naliya. In addition, a western disturbance is active as cyclonic winds over north Haryana and its surroundings at a height of 3.1 to 4.5 km above sea level.
