It is the classic July style weather for Pune district right now. While Pune city is experiencing steady, moderate showers that keep the weather pleasant, the surrounding Ghat regions are taking a massive beating. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has extended a Red Alert for the Pune ghats for today and tomorrow, warning residents and tourists to strictly avoid traveling to these high-altitude areas.

According to independent meteorologist Dr. Vineet Kumar, this active monsoon spell will continue to bring good rain until July 8. “After July 8, rainfall activity is expected to reduce significantly across the region,” he noted. This lines up with monthly outlooks suggesting that the second half of July may see a major drop in overall rainfall intensity.

Extremely Heavy Rain in Ghats: Tamhini Crosses 1000mm Mark

The rainfall in ghat areas has been intense over the last 24 hours. Tamhini Ghat has officially crossed the massive 1000mm seasonal rainfall milestone after recording an additional 310mm of rain.

The heavy rainfall figures across major ghat stations over the past 24 hours tell the story:

Dongerwadi: 398 mm
Tamhini: 310 mm
Davdi: 268 mm
Lonavala: 263 mm
Mulshi: 117 mm

Meanwhile, down in the coastal lowlands, Mumbai is facing an extremely heavy downpour. Over the last 24 hours, South Mumbai’s Colaba recorded 265.7mm of rain, while Santacruz in the suburbs registered 227.7mm, throwing normal life completely out of gear there.

Pune Dams Stock Rises Steadily

Despite heavy rains in the ghats, the crucial dams supplying water to Pune and its neighboring agricultural belts are filling up at a relatively slow and cautious pace. This is primarily because the monsoon had a delayed start, meaning a lot of initial rainwater was soaked by the dry land before creating any inflow to the dams.

Here is where the water levels stand across major dams in Pune as of July 4:

Lonavala 33.9%
Bhama Askhed 29.1%
Panshet 20.8%
Pawana 18.8%
Mulshi 13.7%
Khadakwasla 13.2%
Koyna 13.2%
Temghar 0.8%
Ujjani 0.0%

Ujjani dam remains at a critical 0% live storage, and Temghar is barely at 0.8%. While the current spell is helping, we desperately need a sustained period of heavy inflows over the catchment areas before the projected mid-July dry spell begins.

Local administration has strongly advised citizens against visiting popular spots like Bhushi Dam and Tamhini waterfalls over the next 48 hours due to flash flood risks.