Pune: Persistent heavy rainfall over the past week has significantly improved Maharashtra’s monsoon performance, with the state’s seasonal rainfall deficit narrowing from 12% on July 21 to just 4% by July 28, India Meteorological Department (IMD) data showed on Tuesday.The sharpest improvement was recorded in Madhya Maharashtra, where rainfall departure swung from a marginal 1% deficit last week to a healthy 17% surplus. Konkan-Goa also strengthened its position, with surplus rainfall rising from 1% to 5%. While Marathwada and Vidarbha continue to remain rain-deficient, both regions witnessed notable recovery. Marathwada’s deficit reduced from 38% to 32%, while Vidarbha’s shortfall narrowed from 31% to 25%.At the district level, rainfall gains were equally significant. Pune’s seasonal surplus climbed from 51% to 66% over the week, while Nashik registered a dramatic jump from 28% to 94% surplus. Large parts of Marathwada and eastern Vidarbha, however, remain in the deficient category despite recent showers.The turnaround has been driven largely by sustained heavy rainfall along the Western Ghats, where several locations continued to record triple-digit rainfall totals. In Pune district, Kurvande received 141.5mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am Tuesday. Bhor recorded 48.5mm and Talegaon 45.5mm during the same period. Within Pune city, rainfall remained moderate, with Shivajinagar recording 18.3mm, Pashan 19.4mm, Chinchwad 18mm and Koregaon Park 17.5mm.Elsewhere in the ghat regions, Bhira in Raigad topped the chart with 186mm of rainfall, followed by Tamhini (160mm), Davdi (126mm), Dongerwadi (125mm), Pophali (116mm) and Khopoli (109mm).The intense spell also triggered landslides in parts of the Western Ghats. A landslide at Kala Kada in Kelghar Ghat on the Satara-Mahabaleshwar road forced authorities to temporarily shut the route after heavy rain lashed western Satara district. District disaster management officials said the landslide occurred on Monday evening and was confined to the ghat section. No houses were damaged, but debris blocked the roadway, disrupting connectivity between Satara and Mahabaleshwar.Rainfall activity, however, eased considerably across Pune district later on Tuesday. Between 8.30am and 5.30pm, Kurvande received an additional 40.5mm of rain, while Bhor recorded 15.5mm and Girivan 8.5mm. Pune city received only light showers during the period, with Shivajinagar receiving 3.2mm, Koregaon Park 3mm, Wadgaonsheri 2mm, Pashan 0.6mm and NDA 0.5mm, indicating a significant weakening of rainfall intensity by afternoon.IMD has forecast generally cloudy skies with very light to light rain over Pune city on Wednesday, while isolated heavy rainfall is likely to continue over ghat areas.Pune July rain just 0.4mm short of hitting all-time recordShivajinagar recorded 508.1mm of rainfall in July as of 5.30pm on Tuesday. This makes it the second-wettest July on record, just 0.4mm short of the all-time July record of 508.5mm set in 1907, according to an expert from the Vagaries of Weather blog.
