• Source:JND
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Maharashtra News: As the monsoon season intensifies across Maharashtra, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert and orange alert for Mumbai and Pune respectively predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall on Sunday and Monday. According to Sushma Nair, a scientist at IMD Mumbai, the rainfall intensity is expected to increase significantly on Sunday night and persist through Monday, owing to the strengthening of westerly winds and offshore winds.

"Rainfall has decreased today, but we expect it to intensify Sunday night and continue through Monday due to the strengthening of westerlies and offshore winds," Nair explained. "We are closely monitoring the wind patterns for further developments, and we anticipate a decline in rainfall activity for a few days afterward."

The IMD has also issued an "orange" alert for Pune district, with heavy to very heavy rainfall expected in isolated places, particularly in the ghat regions, on Sunday and Monday. Independent weather experts suggest that the wet spell could continue until July 10.

The weather agency has also raised "yellow" and "orange" alerts for Kolhapur, Satara, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Thane, and Palghar until July 3, indicating the widespread nature of the impending rainfall.

Temperatures in Santacruz peaked at 31.3 degrees Celsius with 81 per cent humidity, while Colaba recorded a maximum of 31.6 degrees Celsius with 80 per cent humidity. However, the rainfall in Mumbai's catchment areas remained minimal, with the city's lakes currently at a critically low level of 5.43 per cent (78,579 million litres), the lowest in the last three years.

The IMD has warned of potential impacts, including localised flooding, reduced visibility, traffic disruptions and possible damage to vulnerable structures. Residents in low-lying areas and ghat regions are advised to remain vigilant. Authorities are also on alert for landslides, mudslides and riverine flooding in some catchment areas, while farmers have been cautioned about potential crop damage due to inundation.