Pune recorded the third-highest rainfall in July on Thursday with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reporting 114.1 mm. This would be the tenth-highest rainfall recorded in the city. On October 10, 2010, Pune recorded the highest ever rainfall of 181.1 mm—the historic high. Since Wednesday night, Pune and its surrounding region have been receiving incessant rainfall. The IMD said in a statement that Tamhini Ghat in the district had received 560 mm of rain, which it termed as exceptionally heavy. Similarly, most of the ghat areas of the district received exceptionally heavy rain. Lavasa recorded 453.5 mm of rain while Lonavala recorded 322.5 mm. Shivajiangar’s automatic weather station’s 114.1 mm and Chinchwad’s 175 mm rainfall were also unusually high. The IMD had issued a red alert for the city and it will remain in place for Friday. A cyclonic circulation lies over the Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh. The monsoon trough, the IMD said, is active and lies near its normal position and is likely to continue to remain so during the next four-five days. The offshore trough at mean sea level runs along south Gujarat-north Kerala coast. The combined effect of these weather systems, the IMD said, had resulted in the heavy to intense rain, which was equally distributed across the district. The IMD had predicted July would see above-normal rain, and the active monsoon trough has enabled the present rainfall. Suhas Diwase, District Collector, declared Thursday to be a holiday for all schools in the district in view of the red alert. Heavy rain in the catchment areas have seen dams improve their water levels in one day. By the end of the day, Khadakwasla was 96 per cent full, which led to multiple discharges from the dam. Similarly, Temghar (53.67 per cent), Varasgaon (59.14 per cent) and Panshet (71.62 per cent) have greatly improved their water levels. The irrigation department had continued discharges from the Khadakwasla and other dams in view of the forecast of good rainfall.
