Pune: Tamhini Ghat Sees Record-Breaking June Rainfall, Surpasses 2,000 mm Mark

Pune, 27th June 2025: In an extraordinary development that has caught the attention of meteorologists across the country, Tamhini Ghat in Pune district has recorded over 2,000 mm of rainfall in June alone, making it the wettest location in western Maharashtra for the month — even surpassing traditionally high-rainfall areas like Mahabaleshwar and Radhanagari.

Experts describe this as an unusually intense start to the monsoon, with such high volumes of precipitation being rare in the early phase of the rainy season.

“This kind of concentrated rainfall — two metres within a single month — is far from typical for this region,” said Anupam Kashyapi, former head of the weather forecasting division at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Pune. “It’s indicative of a shift in monsoon behaviour and demands close monitoring.”

According to IMD data, Tamhini’s 2,000 mm tally for June has outstripped Mahabaleshwar (1,223 mm), Radhanagari (1,289 mm), Gaganbawada (1,109 mm), and Lonavala (1,096 mm). To put it in perspective, Tamhini had logged only 848 mm of rainfall during June last year, making this year’s surge more than double.

Pune district as a whole has received 295.1 mm of rainfall this month, almost twice the usual average of 149.5 mm for June. The heavy downpour has also had a direct impact on water resources — the catchment areas of the Khadakwasla dam system have seen rapid inflows, prompting an early release of 2.32 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water in June alone — an unusual move at this stage of the season.

A senior IMD scientist, who asked not to be named, explained, “While heavy rainfall in Tamhini isn’t new, the volume we’ve seen this year — especially in such a concentrated timeframe — is unlike anything recorded recently.”

This spike in rainfall is being attributed to strong monsoon systems developing over the Arabian Sea, which have carried significant moisture into western Maharashtra. In contrast, the Bay of Bengal has not produced any notable weather systems so far, contributing to rainfall deficits in eastern Maharashtra, particularly Vidarbha and Marathwada.

Looking ahead, the IMD has issued an orange alert for Pune district, warning of heavy rainfall in the ghat sections until June 30. S.D. Sanap, senior meteorologist at IMD Pune, said: “Moderate showers are likely in city areas, while the hilly stretches of Satara and Kolhapur could experience intense rain in isolated pockets. The skies will remain cloudy and conditions humid.”