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The city of Pune in India experienced an unprecedented downpour on Thursday, September 7, 2023, marking the third wettest September day in its history since 1901. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the 24-hour rainfall recorded in Shivajinagar reached a staggering 133mm, closely mirroring the 132.2mm rainfall recorded in September 1938. While heavy rainfall is common during the monsoon months of July and August, such intense precipitation in September is uncommon, especially during the monsoon retreat period.
The heavy rains had a significant impact on the city, leading to the cancellation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's highly anticipated visit. Modi was scheduled to launch at least 11 projects during his visit but was forced to postpone due to the inclement weather conditions. This unexpected rainfall also resulted in the city exceeding its annual rainfall quota for the year. Pune, typically receives a majority of its annual rainfall of 988.5mm during June-September, with July and August being the wettest months. However, in recent years, the southwest monsoon has lingered longer than usual, causing a delay in its retreat and resulting in increased rainfall during late September, becoming a new norm.
Met officials attributed the heavy rainfall to a combination of factors, including the surplus moisture incursion from both the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea over Konkan and Madhya Maharashtra. They also highlighted the presence of a trough running between Konkan and south Bangladesh across the prevailing cyclonic circulation over Vidarbha, which intensified the rainfall over Maharashtra. On the same day, Mumbai, another major city in Maharashtra, also experienced very heavy rainfall, recording 170mm at both the Santacruz and Colaba stations. The IMD has issued an orange alert, predicting isolated heavy spells of rain over parts of Pune and large portions of Madhya Maharashtra on Thursday, with similar heavy rainfall likely to continue over Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra, and Marathwada in Maharashtra until Friday.
Source: Pune records 3rd wettest day in 123 years, city’s annual rain quota met