25-05-2025
When will Pune see onset of monsoon? Here's what a weather expert has to say
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Saturday declared the onset of the southwest monsoon in Kerala, 8 days earlier than normal.
Maharashtra and Pune are now next in line in terms of onset.
Incessant rains have been battering parts of Pune over the last few days, leading many to wonder whether monsoon has already arrived in the city.
According to Anupam Kashyapi, former head of weather forecasting at IMD, the most likely date for the onset of monsoon in Pune is May 28.
The IMD declares onset after a series of conditions are met.
Pune and Maharashtra have been witnessing rain over the last few days, which is mainly attributed to the low-pressure area over the Arabian Sea.
The low-pressure areas have caused extensive rainfall in Pune and Maharashtra.
The state has received 99.2 mm of rainfall, more than four times the 20.1 mm of rainfall it is supposed to receive between March 1 and May 31.
If the trend persists, this will be one of the wettest summers the state and city might have seen in a long time.
The recent rains have sparked both anxiety and enthusiasm among farmers. Ganesh Nanote, a farmer from Akola district, noted that the rain has disrupted the pre-sowing land preparation for crops such as moong and urad beans.
'Our main concern is the second week of June. If the current rainfall trend continues, we will have no complaints. However, if that week turns dry, we could face significant problems,' he said.
The IMD Saturday said the onset of monsoons in Kerala was the earliest since 2009, when monsoons arrived on May 23.
It also said that over the next two to three days, favourable conditions will aid the further advance of monsoon into parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, more parts of Karnataka, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, remaining parts of Tamil Nadu, Goa, and more parts of the central Arabian Sea.
Partha Sarathi Biwas is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express with 10+ years of experience in reporting on Agriculture, Commodities and Developmental issues. He has been with The Indian Express since 2011 and earlier worked with DNA. Partha's report about Farmers Producer Companies (FPC) as well long pieces on various agricultural issues have been cited by various academic publications including those published by the Government of India. He is often invited as a visiting faculty to various schools of journalism to talk about development journalism and rural reporting. In his spare time Partha trains for marathons and has participated in multiple marathons and half marathons. ... Read More
