Subdued monsoon activity in Pune, Mumbai this weekend

Pune and Mumbai will continue to experience a lull in monsoon activity over the weekend. The forecast issued by the India meteorological department (IMD) for the next 48 hours indicates only a few spells of rain or showers for the two cities.

IMD director (weather central), PCS Rao, told DNA on Friday that the reason for the lull was the absence of strong winds in the Arabian Sea which was instrumental in bringing in moisture. “There would be no change in this situation for the next 48 hours. Rainfall would be subdued across the state with the exception of the Konkan,” Rao said.

However, Pune recorded 256.7 mm rainfall in June this year, which is significantly in excess of the normal of 118.1 mm. According to Rao, the formation of a trough in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Maharashtra and Karnataka would bring in fairly widespread rainfall for the coastal regions in the two states. But peninsular India would get only isolated rainfall in the next 48 hours.

Speaking about the advance of the monsoon, Rao said that many parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan, especially the north-western parts, were yet to be covered by the monsoon.

The IMD official mentioned that most of North India had received rainfall, 20% in excess of normal, and almost the entire North-East India, West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar are expected to receive widespread rainfall in the next 48 hours.