After dry spell, Maharashtra's monsoon revival likely from June 13
What's the story
The southwest monsoon, which had reached Maharashtra unusually early on May 25, is set to make a comeback after a brief dry spell.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted widespread rainfall across the state starting June 13.
This revival is expected due to the development of weather systems over the Bay of Bengal and strengthening westerly winds from the Arabian Sea.
Early onset
Early onset of monsoon in Maharashtra
The southwest monsoon made an early onset in Maharashtra on May 25, 14 days ahead of schedule.
It covered nearly 45% of the state, including major cities like Mumbai, Pune, and Ahilya Nagar, within a day.
However, after progressing rapidly, the monsoon stalled on May 27, resulting in a dry spell across many areas.
The unexpected pause in the monsoon's progress had left farmers uncertain about when to sow their Kharif crop.
Alerts
IMD has issued alerts for several districts
The IMD's latest forecast, issued on June 10, has placed at least 28 districts under a yellow alert for light to moderate rainfall on June 11.
An orange alert has been issued for southern Maharashtra, especially the Sindhudurg and Kolhapur districts on June 12, while a yellow alert has been declared in Thane, Raigad, and Pune on June 13.
Expert insights
Two weather systems likely to form
An upper air circulation is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal around June 12, which will help in the monsoon's revival by strengthening westerly winds from the Arabian Sea.
A second system is expected to develop in the Bay of Bengal around June 18, slightly further north. This will likely increase rainfall across northern, eastern, and central Maharashtra.
Pune is likely to remain generally cloudy for the next 24 hours with a possibility of thunder and rainfall.
Pune forecast
Pune to experience moderate to heavy rainfall from June 12
Meanwhile, Mumbai is likely to witness partly cloudy skies on Wednesday, with a possibility of light rain or thundershowers in the city and its suburbs.
Parts of northwest India are also expected to receive light to moderate rainfall. Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh, and East Rajasthan are expected to be affected.
Uttarakhand and East Uttar Pradesh may see similar activity between June 11 and 15, while Punjab is likely to see such weather on June 14-15.
Bengaluru
Heavy rainfall in Bengaluru
Heavy rains accompanied by thunderstorms pounded Bengaluru late Tuesday evening, inundating key roads.
The heavy rainfall impacted large areas of the city, with north Bengaluru's Hennur experiencing significant waterlogging.
Central and southern neighborhoods such as Richmond Town, BTM Layout, Sarjapur, and Electronics City also reported moderate to heavy rain, while eastern pockets like Marathahalli and western areas including Rajajinagar saw similar conditions, Hindustan Times reported.
The city is expected to receive light to moderate rainfall during the next 12 hours.