After enduring cloudy weather for two to three days, Pune city and its surrounding ghat areas received substantial rainfall on Friday, May 9. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the city registered 11.2 mm of rainfall by 5:30 PM, marking the second-highest rainfall recorded in May since 2022. The forecast suggests that rainfall activity is expected to continue for the next 48 hours. Shivajinagar recorded the same 11.2 mm of rainfall, which is notable considering the highest rainfall for May occurred earlier in 2024 at 40.6 mm, while 9.2 mm was reported in May 2023.
Interestingly, there was no rainfall in May 2022, and the highest one-day rainfall of 27 mm was recorded in Shivajinagar in May 2021.In addition to Shivajinagar, other areas such as Katraj, Kondhwa, Wakad, Aundh, Baner, and central Pune experienced good rainfall. The highest rainfall was recorded in Hadapsar at 17.5 mm and Pashan at 17 mm on Friday. In Pune district, Rajgurunagar reported the highest rainfall at 31.5 mm.
According to the IMD, several weather systems are currently active across the country, including a western disturbance identified as a cyclonic circulation over northern Pakistan and its vicinity. A fresh western disturbance is also present, running approximately along longitude 55 degrees East to the north of latitude 27 degrees North. Additionally, an upper air cyclonic circulation over northeast Rajasthan is influencing weather patterns. As a result of these systems, rainfall activity is expected to persist in Maharashtra over the next 48 hours, prompting the IMD to issue a yellow alert for Pune and its ghat areas, as noted by S D Sanap, senior meteorologist at IMD Pune.
Improved Air Quality
The recent cloudy weather and unseasonable rainfall have led to a notable improvement in air quality across Pune. Data from the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) revealed an air quality index (AQI) of 74, categorized as ‘satisfactory’. Most air quality monitoring stations in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad reported AQI levels below 100. However, stations in Hadapsar (104), MIT-Kothrud (135), and Karve Road (233) recorded higher AQI levels. Notably, Karve Nagar experienced a significant rise in air pollution, with AQI levels remaining in the ‘poor’ category throughout the day.
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