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On Monday, the southwest monsoon arrived early in several parts of Maharashtra, including Pune, Mumbai, Solapur, and other regions. This is the earliest monsoon the state has seen since 1990, when it had arrived on May 20. The early arrival brought heavy rain, causing several accidents and the loss of five lives in Pune and Latur districts.
Earliest Monsoon in Decades
Usually, the monsoon reaches Pune around June 10 and Mumbai by June 11. However, this year it arrived 15 to 16 days early. Mumbai experienced its earliest monsoon in 76 years. "According to historical data maintained by IMD, the last time Mumbai witnessed such an early monsoon onset was in 1971 when it arrived on May 29," said SD Sanap, a scientist at IMD Pune.
Heavy Rain in Konkan and Other Regions
The state received heavy rainfall in the 24 hours ending Monday morning. Konkan and Goa regions received the heaviest downpour. Murud in Raigad district recorded the highest rainfall of 370mm. Harnai in Ratnagiri and Shrivardhan followed with 310mm each. Lonavla saw 240mm of rainfall, while Matheran got 180mm.
Warnings Issued by IMD
Due to the heavy rains, IMD issued alerts for several areas. Kolhapur district received a red alert for Tuesday, warning of extremely heavy rain, lightning, and strong winds. Pune was put under an orange alert, with heavy rain expected, especially in the ghat areas. On Monday, rainfall in Pune ranged between 20mm and 41mm from 8.30am to 5.30pm.
Tragic Loss of Lives
The rain caused several accidents. In Pune district, three people died on Monday. A 49-year-old motorcyclist died after a tree fell on him in Erandwane. A 75-year-old woman florist lost her life when part of an old building collapsed on her shop in Daund, which had received 114mm rainfall. A 26-year-old daily wage worker died due to lightning while fishing near Rajgurunagar.
In Latur district, lightning killed two people and injured six others who were working on a farm.
Flooding and Damage in Other Districts
In Satara's Phaltan area, 150 families had to be moved after the Banganga River overflowed due to continuous rain. Around 800 hectares of farmland were damaged. NDRF teams were sent for rescue and relief work.
In Solapur, three seers were rescued from a temple surrounded by floodwaters. Nashik district also received heavy rain. Sinnar got 150.3mm and Dubere received 145.2mm. Crops and farmland were damaged, but no injuries were reported.
Water Levels Rise in Dams and Rivers
In Kolhapur, which is under orange alert, heavy rain increased water levels in dams and rivers. The Panchaganga River rose by 1.6 feet in eight hours, submerging 13 barrages.
The heavy rains also helped increase water levels in Jayakwadi Dam in Marathwada, where the live storage has reached almost 30%.
The monsoon has not stopped in Maharashtra. It is now moving ahead into Karnataka, including Bengaluru, and parts of Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, as reported by IMD.
