Pune witnessed a historic weather event on Thursday, recording its highest April rainfall since 1896, breaking a 130-year-old record. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Shivajinagar received 65 mm of rain, while NDA recorded 84 mm, the highest in the region. Other areas such as Hadapsar (42 mm), Pashan (36.3 mm), Chinchwad (28.5 mm), and Lohegaon (21 mm) also saw significant rainfall.The previous record for the highest April rainfall in Pune stood at 51.1 mm, set on April 4, 1896.
Other notable instances included 48.2 mm on April 6, 1953, and 31.6 mm on April 28, 1959. Since then, April rainfall in Pune had remained below 27.4 mm, until this year’s unprecedented deluge broke all prior records.The IMD attributed this unusual rainfall to a combination of weather systems. A trough in the Easterlies stretching from south Tamil Nadu to the North Konkan coast, along with a western disturbance over Northwest India, caused a jet stream to shift southward. These factors created favorable conditions for thundercloud formation and thunderstorms with hailstorms.
IMD scientist S.D. Sanap explained, “These factors have contributed to the formation of thunderclouds and the occurrence of thunderstorms and hailstorms in the region.”The heavy rainfall was accompanied by gusty winds (30-40 kmph), thunder, and lightning, affecting several parts of Pune and nearby areas. Malin recorded 18.5 mm, Dudulgaon saw 13.5 mm, and Narayangaon received 12 mm.
Haveli recorded the least rainfall at 0.5 mm, while Ballalwadi received 1 mm. The rain caused temporary disruptions, including waterlogging and power outages, but also brought relief from the scorching summer heat.The rainfall led to a noticeable drop in temperatures across Pune. The maximum temperature at Shivajinagar fell to 34.6°C, which is 2.6°C below normal.
Similar drops were observed in NDA, Chinchwad, and Hadapsar, while Pashan was slightly warmer at 35.1°C. IMD predicts that temperatures will remain below normal for the next couple of days due to cloud cover. However, daytime temperatures are expected to rise again from April 5, reaching 37°C, and could touch 38°C by April 8. The minimum temperature on Friday was 19.9°C in Shivajinagar and NDA, while Pashan recorded 20.1°C.
The IMD has issued weather alerts for other parts of Maharashtra. An Orange Alert has been issued for Marathwada on April 3, warning of hailstorms. A Yellow Alert has been issued for thunderstorms, lightning, and squalls in Marathwada on April 4 and 5, while Vidarbha is under a Yellow Alert until April 5.
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