Pune: After nearly a week of subdued monsoon activity, Pune and its surrounding areas received spells of heavy rain on Sunday, bringing relief from the dry spell.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast more showers over the region in the coming days. However, despite the rainfall in parts of the city, the catchment areas of the dams supplying water to civic limits did not receive any rain on Sunday.According to an IMD press release, “Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is likely over Konkan and Goa between June 28 and July 4, Madhya Maharashtra on June 28 and during July 3-4, Marathwada on June 28, and the Gujarat region on July 4.”For Monday, the IMD has forecast a generally cloudy sky with light rain in Pune.Among the city’s rainfall readings, Shivajinagar recorded 11.5mm of rain on Sunday, while Lohegaon reported only trace rainfall. Lavale, NDA and Koregaon Park did not receive any showers, while Chinchwad recorded 1.5mm of rainfall till 5.30pm.According to the IMD, multiple weather systems across the country are contributing to the ongoing rainfall activity.“The seasonal trough extends from Punjab to Bihar. Another trough runs from northeast Madhya Pradesh to Telangana. Upper-air cyclonic circulations are present over Madhya Pradesh and its neighbourhood, the east-central Arabian Sea off the Maharashtra coast, and over north Telangana. Additional troughs extend from coastal Andhra Pradesh to Madhya Maharashtra and from north interior Karnataka to the Comorin area,” a Met department official said.The southwest monsoon, which covered Maharashtra last week, is expected to advance further over the next few days.“Conditions are favourable for its progress into more parts of the north Arabian Sea, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, the remaining parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar, and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand over the next two to three days. Thereafter, the monsoon is likely to advance into additional parts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and southeast Rajasthan,” the official added.Meanwhile, the agrometeorology division has advised farmers in Konkan and the ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra to ensure proper drainage of excess water from nurseries of rice, finger millet and vegetables. In regions expected to receive heavy rainfall, including Vidarbha, farmers have been advised to withhold irrigation for standing crops and make arrangements to drain excess rainwater from fields.
