Over the last week or so, pre-monsoon showers have returned to Pune, providing a much-needed respite from the sweltering heat. However, this year, the nature and timing of the pre-monsoon showers have been somewhat unusual, catching the attention of meteorologists. Many meteorologists say they have not seen extremely high wind speeds accompanying the showers before. Anupam Kashyapi, former head of weather forecasting at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), said the present wind speeds accompanying the pre-monsoon showers are almost equal to a squall. “Normally wind speeds are between 30-40 kmph, but this year the wind speed is between 50-60 kmph. At its peak, it can reach up to 70 kmph,” he said. Kashyapi said the extremely dry soil, high temperature, and accompanying dust storms could be the reasons for the high wind speed. “The wind speed is almost like that of a squall,” he said. Squally weather, as defined by the IMD, is characterised by strong gusty winds of at least 20 knots accompanied by rain. These conditions are associated with low-pressure systems or the onset and strengthening of the monsoon. The northern parts of the country are experiencing heatwaves with temperatures exceeding 40-42 degrees Celsius. In the past week, Pune has seen two incidents of hoarding collapse and several incidents of trees falling due to extremely high wind speeds. The current weather is expected to continue for the next few days, with gusty winds anticipated. The IMD and meteorologists are closely monitoring the development of low-pressure areas over the Bay of Bengal, which will determine the movement of the monsoon. The IMD has designated May 31 as the onset date of the monsoon this year.
