The state could still receive thunderstorms and showers in Oct, but these are expected to be highly localised and below normal in frequency, an IMD official said
For Pune, data showed the city received only 64.1mm of rainfall in Sept, making it the worst Sept level since 2018. The total was slightly more than double the 30.3mm recorded in Sept 2018 and far below the rainfall recorded in most recent years. Year-wise Sept rainfall at Shivajinagar shows wide variations: 128.5mm in 2014, 173.7mm in 2015, 58.5mm in 2016, 151.7mm in 2017, 30.3mm in 2018, 287.7mm in 2019.
Solapur on Thursday recorded a maximum temperature of 37.7°C, its highest Oct reading in 20 years. The district’s all-time highest Oct record was in 1965 when it hit 38.5°C. Sangli and Satara also recorded temperatures above 35°C, while Kolhapur crossed 34°C. Nearly 70% of the state is now affected by drought conditions.
Pune: Maharashtra , already facing rainfall deficiencies and drought conditions in several of its regions, is likely to receive below-normal rainfall during the Oct-Dec period, IMD said in its latest monthly outlook. An IMD official said chances of good rainfall in Maharashtra in Oct are now low. “Two factors are responsible: influence of El Nino and the absence of favourable conditions for cyclogenesis, or the formation of cyclonic systems that can bring rainfall,” the official said.
The Oct rainfall probability map shows most of Maharashtra in the below-normal category, with the strongest signal covering large parts of the state. The outlook suggested the state is unlikely to see significant rainfall as the southwest monsoon withdraws. There are fears the soil-moisture levels could drop further and increase farmers’ dependence on irrigation systems and stored water for the rabi season. IMD too cautioned that below-normal post-monsoon rainfall can affect soil moisture, water availability, irrigation requirements and agricultural productivity, besides increasing likelihood of dry spells and reduced recharge of reservoirs and groundwater.