Pune weather: IMD issues Red Alert as rainfall lashes city; Panchganga’s water levels rise

After a break of a few days, the rains returned to Pune on Monday. Since the morning, the city has been witnessing continuous rainfall. According to local media reports, strong rainfall is expected to continue in Pune for the next two to three days.

 

This year, Pune received very little rainfall in July, recording the lowest in the last four years. August was no different until a low-pressure area formed over Vidarbha and started moving northwest, while another low-pressure area developed along the southern Odisha coast.

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An ‘offshore trough’ also spread from south Konkan to north Kerala, ABP Live said in a report.An 'offshore trough' is an elongated area of low atmospheric pressure that forms along the coast, particularly off the west coast of India, during the southwest monsoon season. It is a semi-permanent feature that plays a crucial role in strengthening the monsoon and bringing heavy rainfall to the adjacent coastal regions. The trough helps to focus low-level moisture and is associated with bands of thunderstorms.

 

As a consequence of these factors, favourable conditions for rainfall have developed across the state. This has prompted the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue red and orange alerts for Maharashtra, Gujarat, western Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Odisha due to the possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall.

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A senior meteorologist reportedly told ABP Live that red and orange alerts have been issued for three days for the ghat areas of Pune, as well as Raigad, Ratnagiri, Palghar, Thane, Sindhudurg, Satara, and Kolhapur districts. Hence, caution is advised while visiting these regions. In Pune city, cloudy weather with light to moderate rainfall is expected over the next three days.

 

Meanwhile, the Panchganga river's water level is rising steadily as water is being discharged from the upstream Radhanagari dam after heavy rains in Kolhapur's hilly areas. The Panchganga river, a tributary of the Krishna, originates in the Sahyadri mountains and flows through Kolhapur before joining the Krishna river at Narsobawadi. Officials said on Monday that water is currently being released from the dam at a rate of 11,500 cusec through its seven automated gates.

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Authorities have instructed people living on the banks of the Panchganga river to remain cautious due to the water discharge, news agency PTI reported. The water level of the river is currently at 30.9 feet at the Rajaram weir, almost eight feet short of the warning level of 39 feet. The danger level for the river is 43 feet.

India