Pune Rain Update: IMD Predicts Monsoon Revival, Orange Alert for Ghat Areas as July Begins
Pune, 30th June 2026: Despite the arrival of the southwest monsoon, Pune city continues to await widespread rainfall. While the city has witnessed overcast skies and isolated showers in recent days, monsoon activity has remained largely subdued. In contrast, the adjoining ghat regions have begun receiving intense rainfall, signalling a gradual revival of the monsoon across western Maharashtra.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Lonavala recorded 160 mm of rainfall, Dongarwadi 158 mm, and Tamhini 125 mm during the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Monday. In comparison, Lohgaon in Pune city received just 2 mm of rainfall, underscoring the stark contrast between the city and the nearby hill regions.
The strengthening monsoon over the Western Ghats was further evident on June 29, when Bhira in neighbouring Raigad district recorded an exceptionally high 430 mm of rainfall, indicating that monsoon activity is gaining momentum over the ghat areas.
This year’s monsoon has progressed more slowly than usual due to the influence of El Niño and unfavourable atmospheric conditions. As a result, Pune city and several parts of the district have recorded significantly below-normal rainfall. Except for a few pockets, including Narayangaon and Rajgurunagar, most parts of the district continue to face a substantial rainfall deficit.
Senior meteorologist Anupam Kashyapi said monsoon activity is expected to strengthen from the beginning of July. According to long-range forecasts, rainfall is likely to become active over Maharashtra, southern Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and adjoining regions, with the active spell expected to continue into the second week of the month.
He said Pune city is likely to experience generally cloudy skies accompanied by light to moderate rainfall, while the ghat areas are expected to receive moderate to heavy rainfall, with isolated locations likely to witness very heavy showers. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is also forecast over parts of Mumbai and the Konkan region during the first week of July, providing a much-needed boost for the ongoing kharif sowing season.
IMD data shows that Pune district normally receives 178.4 mm of rainfall between June 1 and June 29. However, this year, the district has received only 93.8 mm, resulting in a rainfall deficit of 47 per cent.
In its forecast issued on Monday, the IMD said rainfall activity is expected to intensify across Maharashtra over the coming week. An orange alert has been issued for the Konkan region until July 3 due to the likelihood of heavy rainfall.
For Pune city, the IMD has issued a yellow alert for light to moderate rainfall from June 30 to July 3. Meanwhile, the ghat sections of Pune district are expected to receive heavy rainfall from July 1 onwards, prompting the weather department to issue an orange alert for these areas between July 1 and July 3.
