Heavy downpour, thunderstorms set to hit parts of Maharashtra; orange alert in Mumbai

Dhule & Nandurbar: Heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching is very likely at isolated places.

Ghat Areas of Nasik: Expect heavy to very heavy precipitation alongside thunderstorms and gusty winds. Heavy rainfall is expected to persist in this area into Day 2.

Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and Jalgaon: Very likely to witness thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, heavy rainfall, and gusty winds at isolated locations.

Coastal districts, including Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg will observe moderate to light rainfall along with thunderstorms and gusty winds. Weather conditions across Vidarbha-including **Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Chandrapur, and Gadchiroli — will also involve isolated heavy rain and thunderstorms during the initial 24-hour period before conditions ease significantly from Day 2 onward.

Yellow, orange Alerts in Maharashtra

The IMD has forecast Orange and Yellow alerts for several districts for Sunday and Monday

The districts under a Yellow Alert for thunderstorms, lightning, heavy rainfall, or gusty winds include

• Konkan Region: Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri
• North / Central Maharashtra: Jalgaon, Nasik (Plain areas), Ahilyanagar, Pune (Plain areas), Ghats of Pune, Satara (Plain areas), Ghats of Satara, Ghats of Kolhapur
• Marathwada Region: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Parbhani, Beed, Hingoli
• Vidarbha Region: Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara, Gondia, Nagpur, Wardha, Washim, Yavatmal

Parts of Dhule, Nandurbar, and the Ghats of Nasik are under an Orange Alert on Sunday.

On Monday, a yellow alert will remain enforced in:

• North Maharashtra: Nandurbar (heavy rain at isolated places), Ghats of Nasik
• Central Maharashtra / Ghats: Ghats of Pune, Ghats of Satara, Ghats of Kolhapur

Expected impact and potential disruptions

The meteorological office warned of multiple impacts stemming from intense precipitation and lightning. Localised flooding of low-lying urban areas, potential flash floods, disruption to road, rail, air, and ferry transport, and temporary outage of utility services like water and electricity are likely.

Squally weather and rough sea conditions are likely along the Konkan coast.

The IMD has also warned of the risk of landslides, mudslides, and rockfalls in hilly or vulnerable terrains, along with tree uprooting and damage to unmaintained structures.

IMD advisory

To mitigate safety risks and crop damage, the IMD has issued clear guidelines:

The IMD has advised people to check traffic updates and advisories before stepping out. Avoid sheltering under tall trees or residing in unsafe structures during severe weather.

The weather department has also urged people in the affected areas to unplug electronics, stay out of open water bodies, and avoid working in open fields during active lightning.

Farmers have been advised to harvest matured crops immediately and secure stored grains in dry facilities. “Ensure proper drainage channels in fields to clear excess water, pause chemical spraying or irrigation, and keep livestock protected indoors,” the latest IMD bulletin read.