Summer showers hit Pune after relatively dry spell last year, rainfall to continue for 2 days  

Anupam Kashyapi, former head of weather forecasting at IMD, said the rainfall can help boost the groundwater level and also maintain the fast-depleting levels in dams. He attributed the rainfall to a combination of local instability caused due to high temperatures as well as the presence of moisture in the air.

“At present, the moisture is mainly from the Arabian Sea and the western disturbance which is active over the northern part of the country. Vidarbha is experiencing rains due to the moisture ingress from the Bay of Bengal,” he said. An anti-cyclone over the Arabian Sea is leading the moisture ingress over most parts of the state.

The showers are more than welcome in Pune as they mark the return of summer rain in the city and district after a relatively dry 2023. Summer rainfall, although not very significant, is important to bridge the gap during the dry months before monsoon hits the state. “If we look at the rainfall, we find that catchment areas like Lavale, Girivan have reported good rainfall to the tune of 20mm-40 mm. If anything, this rainfall will help recharge the fast-depleting groundwater level and slightly improve the levels in dams,” he said.

The water level in dams that supply to Pune city and district is around 30-40 per cent of their full capacity. “If anything, the rain will help maintain the water levels and stop its depletion,” he said.