Maharashtra is among the four states in India that received highly scanty rainfall during the pre-monsoon season and it has been categorised under the ‘large deficient’ category, as per rainfall data till May 10. Advertising The India Meteorological Department (IMD) identifies the season between March and May as the pre-monsoon season, during which heightened levels of heating results in convective activities, leading to lightning accompanied by rainfall and thunder. While the rainfall deficiency over Maharashtra stood at 54 per cent at the end of April, the deficit has further grown to 65 per cent, placing Maharashtra along with Gujarat (- 69 per cent), Tamil Nadu (- 69 per cent) and Mizoram (- 76 per cent), under the ‘large deficient’ rainfall category according to the IMD. “There were not enough strong weather systems reported since April. Though there has been some increase in moisture content over the region, it has not helped cause even moderate rains over most parts of the state and even country-wide. This year, a good amount of rainfall has been reported only over the northeastern regions and the southern peninsula, so far,” said Anupam Kashyapi, head of the weather department, IMD, Pune. Advertising While Pune district reported some rainfall traces over the last two days, in Baramati, Indapur and Shirur talukas, the city and its neighbouring regions didn’t received any rains at all. The rainfall during these three months is needed to hydrate the vast cultivable lands, which will otherwise get extremely dry due to soaring temperatures during summers. The black cotton soil found in parts of Maharashtra can add to the heating conditions in the absence of moisture, generally brought by intermittent thunderstorms during March and May. Meteorologists say that Vidarbha and Konkan-Goa sub-divisions may report some rainfall in the coming days, but chances of rain over Pune are slim. “Vidarbha could receive some light rains over the next two days and similar activity may be experienced over Madhya Maharashta during the same period,” said Kashyapi. Meanwhile, the westerly winds blowing from Arabian Sea has kept the maximum temperatures over Konkan, Goa, Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada in check since the beginning of this month. Day temperatures have largely remained below 40 degrees Celsius. Even the ongoing heatwave over Vidarbha, one of the longest spells that has continued since the third week of April, is likely to subside in the early next week. “The temperatures over Vidarbha will experience a fall after May 13 and return to normal range,” said Kashyapi. Except Vidarbha, both the day and night temperatures in the state are most likely to remain within the normal range in the next one week, said IMD officials.

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