Unseasonal Rainfall Set to Sweep Maharashtra as IMD Issues Alerts Till Oct 22 Across Several Districts
Unseasonal Rainfall Set to Sweep Maharashtra as IMD Issues Alerts Till Oct 22 Across Several Districts
Cloudy skies and unexpected rain may soon become a familiar sight across Maharashtra, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting a fresh bout of unseasonal weather activity through the coming week. From October 16 to 22, several parts of the state — including Pune — are likely to experience light to moderate showers, thunderstorms, and gusty winds, a pattern that’s catching both residents and farmers off guard.
Despite the official withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from Maharashtra, Goa, and Madhya Pradesh, lingering moisture and unstable atmospheric conditions are behind this renewed spell of rain. The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Pune, Satara, Ahmednagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Beed, and Sindhudurg, warning of potential disruptions caused by sudden downpours and thunderstorm activity.
This shift in weather could significantly interfere with local plans, especially since it overlaps with a series of widely celebrated festive dates such as Vasubaras (October 17), Dhantrayodashi (October 18), and Narak Chaturdashi (October 20). A similar pattern of rain was witnessed earlier this month during Navaratri, and authorities are advising residents to be prepared for delays in travel, subdued outdoor celebrations, and wet shopping outings.
In Pune, local officials have urged people to remain cautious during thunderstorms and avoid open spaces during lightning strikes. Farmers in western Maharashtra, who were preparing to harvest crops like soyabean and cotton, have been advised to postpone harvesting to reduce potential losses due to the unpredictable weather.
Elsewhere in the state, Mumbai and surrounding districts may also feel the impact, albeit in a more scattered fashion. The IMD has predicted light rain for Mumbai and Thane on Thursday and Friday. Palghar, meanwhile, is under a yellow alert for Friday, with chances of thunderstorms and gusty winds at isolated locations. These weather conditions are expected to linger across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region into the weekend.
According to weather watchers, the shifting pattern is being driven by the northeast monsoon, which is pulling moist easterly winds inland from the Bay of Bengal. Independent meteorologist Athreya Shetty pointed out that the combination of daytime heating and humid winds is likely to produce evening thundershowers in Mumbai over the next few days. On Wednesday, temperatures in the city remained slightly elevated, with the IMD’s Santacruz observatory recording a high of 34.9°C and Colaba registering 32.8°C. Relative humidity levels were reported at 70% in Colaba and 61% in Santacruz.
Mumbai officially saw the end of the southwest monsoon on October 10, just two days after its typical withdrawal date of October 8. Weather enthusiast Abhijit Modak added that moist easterly winds associated with the northeast monsoon may form a trough, likely intensifying thunderstorm activity between October 16 and 20. He expects more widespread rainfall across southern Konkan and Madhya Maharashtra — including Pune, Nashik, and Kolhapur — while northern Konkan regions such as Mumbai may only see isolated showers.
