IMD issues orange alert, ‘heavy’ to ‘very heavy’ rain forecast in Pune’s ghat areas

Dr Anupam Kashyapi, head of weather forecasting at IMD, said that at present four weather systems were active, which has made the monsoon vigorous and very active. “The low pressure area over north Chhattisgarh and its neighbourhood is likely to move west northwestwards towards northwest Madhya Pradesh in the next three days. An offshore trough at mean sea level is running along south Gujarat to Kerala coast and an east-west trough from north-west Rajasthan to north-east Bay of Bengal,” he said.

Along with this, a cyclonic circulation has formed over south Gujarat coast and its neighbourhood. These four systems, he said, has ensured that the monsoon remains active and vigorous for the time being.

Till 5.30 pm on Tuesday, Lavasa in Mulshi taluka of Pune district received 70.5 mm of rainfall — the highest in the district. Shivajinagar received 7.5 mm of rainfall while Pashan received 8.1 mm of rainfall. Other areas of the city and district received light to moderate rainfall. The IMD classifies rainfall as following — light to very light (2.4-15.5 mm), moderate (15.6-64.4 mm), heavy to very heavy (64.5-204.4 mm) and extremely heavy (> 204.4 mm).

Dr Kashyapi said Pune city and its surrounding regions would continue to receive light to moderate rains with the sky remaining overcast.

In view of heavy rainfall forecast in the ghat areas of Pune, Nashik and Satara, people have been advised to avoid these areas. Dr Kashyapi said that the orange alert for the ghat regions would remain for the next few days. “Also low lying areas would report some flooding due to rain,” he said.