IMD Issues Heavy Rain Alerts Across 33 Districts to Ease Maharashtra Deficit

The India Meteorological Department has forecast renewed monsoon activity across Maharashtra, with heavy to very heavy rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds expected in parts of Vidarbha, Marathwada, Konkan and western Maharashtra over the next several days. Orange alerts have been issued at various times for districts including Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Nagpur, Yavatmal, Gondia and Bhandara, while yellow alerts cover many other districts. The weather system is linked to a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal and could bring temporary relief to areas facing a prolonged dry spell, though strong winds and lightning may create hazards. Maharashtra has received 787.2 millimeters of rain against a normal 953.2 millimeters, a 17% seasonal deficit that has affected farmers, crops and water supplies, with some districts recording much larger shortfalls. The southwest monsoon is expected to begin withdrawing from Maharashtra around October 5 and retreat from most of the state by about October 10.
Rainfall deficits vary sharply by district: Ahilyanagar is 42% below normal, Sangli 24% below, Solapur 57% below and Nandurbar 34% below. Despite a recent dry spell, Pune’s seasonal rainfall remains 20% above normal, Satara’s 25% above normal and Kolhapur’s 11% below normal—still within the normal category.
Pune’s Shivajinagar has experienced its second-longest monsoon-season streak without double-digit daily rainfall: an expert cited 2018 as the only more prolonged comparable episode, with 64 consecutive days.
The rainfall deficit has reportedly left several dams dry and caused crop losses for farmers; the Hindu report attributed the deficient August and September rainfall in part to El Niño.
The IMD forecast calls for fairly widespread to widespread rain over Konkan and Goa and Marathwada on September 23, followed by isolated to scattered rain over those regions from September 24 to 28 and over Madhya Maharashtra from September 23 to 28. Strong surface winds were expected in Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada on September 24-25.
On the Konkan coast, Palghar, Thane and Mumbai were forecast to receive light to moderate rain, while Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg faced the possibility of thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds; this provides a more specific coastal outlook than the broader state alert summary.
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