Pune: The city has recorded its wettest August in four years a week before the month ends, according to data from the India Meteorological Department. The city received 203.8mm of rain in the first 24 days of the month, making it the highest August rainfall since 2020.
This marks a significant increase compared to recent years. August 2021 had recorded a mere 40.6mm rainfall.
The precipitation in August 2022 was 164.2mm and in August 2023 it was 42.1mm for the entire month.
Normal August rainfall for Pune is 145.2mm. The long-term data primarily refers to measurements taken at Shivajinagar.
Meteorological experts suggested that if similar long-term data were available for locations such as Lohegaon, Hadapsar or Wadgaonsheri, the rainfall could be substantially higher. These areas experienced intense convective showers recently, with some locations receiving over 100mm of rain in a short period. An official of the India Meteorological Department ( IMD ) told TOI, “The localised heavy showers we’ve observed in certain parts of the city contribute significantly to the overall rainfall figures.
But we rely on data from our established observatories for consistency in long-term analysis.” S D Sanap, a scientist from IMD-Pune, said, “There have been 12 rainy days in Pune till August 24. We consider a day ‘rainy’ when the rainfall is greater than 2.
5mm per day.” IMD data showed that there were just seven rainy days in the entire month of August in 2023, twelve such day.