IMD Issues Orange Alert for Parts of Maharashtra; Pune to See Light Rain in Coming Days
Pune, 4th September 2025: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has upgraded the rainfall warning in several districts of Maharashtra from yellow to orange following the intensification of a low-pressure system over the northwest Bay of Bengal. The system, which moved west-northwest and lay over north Odisha and surrounding areas on Wednesday evening, is expected to influence rainfall across the state over the next few days.
According to the latest IMD forecast, heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places is expected in the Pune ghats, Kolhapur ghats, Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri in Konkan, and interior districts including Dhule, Nandurbar, and Nashik. While Pune city itself is likely to see very light to light rain, intermittent showers are expected over the next few days.
An official from IMD said, “Orange alert has been issued for parts of Konkan and the ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra. The rainfall may not be as intense as the previous spell, but activity is expected to begin from Thursday and continue for 2–3 days.”
The recent heavy rain has significantly affected dam catchment areas. Kasari, Kumbhi, Ghataprabha, and Kode dams received over 100mm of rainfall between Tuesday and Wednesday morning, leading to a 4-foot rise in the Panchaganga river’s water level, which increased from 22.7 feet on Tuesday evening to 26.7 feet by Wednesday evening.
Ashish Jadhav, an official at the Koyna Major Irrigation Project, reported, “Due to the increased rainfall intensity, all six gates of Koyna dam have been opened by 1.6 feet. A total discharge of 15,700 cusecs has commenced into the Koyna river, a tributary of the Krishna River. The current stock in Koyna dam is 104 TMC out of a total storage capacity of 105 TMC.”
In nearby hill stations, rainfall measurements included 54mm at Navaja and 47mm at Mahabaleshwar, while 34mm was recorded at the Koyna dam catchment. Intermittent showers were also reported across Satara district.
The IMD also warned of isolated heavy rainfall over Konkan & Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, and Gujarat, with very heavy rainfall expected in Konkan, Goa, and Madhya Maharashtra till Saturday. The agency cautioned residents to remain vigilant in ghat regions and near rivers as dam discharges continue.
