After 50-day wait, Pune gets first major thundershower spell, 60mm rain recorded in Chinchwad

PUNE: Friday brought the city its first widespread thundershower spell after nearly 50 days, ending a prolonged dry and scorching stretch that had residents waiting for relief after enduring repeated 40°C-plus days this summer.

While the sharp spell brought much-needed respite from the heat, the sudden downpour also triggered waterlogging, traffic congestion and tree-fall incidents across several parts of the city.

The last widespread rain event in Shivajinagar was on April 2, when the location recorded 65mm rainfall. Since then, the city had largely remained dry, apart from a minor 0.4mm rainfall event on April 23. Friday’s showers, therefore, marked the first measurable rain spell after nearly one-and-a-half months.

Weather experts said residents had been awaiting relief after Pune experienced unusually persistent heat this season. According to the blog Vagaries of Weather, Shivajinagar recorded four days with temperatures of 40°C or above in May and five such days in April. Last year, the station recorded only two instances of 40°C-plus temperatures during May.

Friday’s showers arrived after intense afternoon heating combined with high moisture levels.

SD Sanap, scientist at India Meteorological Department (IMD), said, “The rain developed mainly due to strong afternoon heating and moisture incursion. Temperatures had risen to 37-40°C and above in the afternoon, and the moisture availability aided formation of tall thunderclouds, leading to these thunderstorm conditions.”

Sanap added that wind speeds during the event were around 30-40 kmph. IMD has also issued a rain alert for Saturday, though intense activity is not expected.

The rain itself was brief but intense, with residents saying the strongest spell lasted around half an hour in many areas.

Rainfall distribution showed sharp local variations across Pune. Weather observations showed Chinchwad receiving the highest rainfall at 60mm, followed by NDA with 29.5mm and Lohegaon with 16mm. Shivajinagar and Pashan each recorded 13mm rainfall, while Magarpatta remained dry and recorded the day’s highest maximum temperature of 41.5°C.

The clouding caused day temperatures to drop in other areas, with Shivajinagar recording 37°C, Lohegaon 39.2°C, Chinchwad 35.4°C and KP 37.3°C.

The sudden burst, however, quickly led to civic issues and one death in the district. A 22-year-old fisherman from Bhor taluka died in a lightning strike while returning home on his motorcycle after fishing in the afternoon. Three others on separate two-wheelers also suffered injuries in the incident.

The strike occurred near Utroli village in Bhor taluka, around 50km from Pune city. Bhor police identified the deceased as Shankar Katekar. The injured, Chandrakant Waghmare (26), Sagar Pawar (25) and Anil Ghogarekar (15), are being treated in a hospital.

An officer from the Bhor police said that Katekar and the others had gone fishing in Atit village of Khandala taluka in Satara district. “On their way back, they were trapped in heavy pre-monsoon showers that brought strong winds and intense lightning. Lightning struck them, killing Katekar on the spot,” the officer said. The body has been sent for a post-mortem and a case of accidental death is being registered.

In Pune city, a slew of traffic issues cropped up. Commuters shared messages on social media, warning of severe congestion after the rain. One alert read: “Urgent attention required. Heavy traffic jam from Yerawada bridge to Taj Hotel, Koregaon Park.”

Waterlogging was reported from several areas, including Kondhwa, Pashan and Sayyednagar on Handewadi Road. Residents also reported flooding near Jyoti Hotel Chowk in Kondhwa, leading to major traffic disruptions. Several two-wheelers reportedly broke down while attempting to cross inundated stretches.

Vikas Shinde, a resident of Viman Nagar, said heavy traffic built up near Ramwadi bridge after the showers. “There was significant congestion near the bridge and also on CoEP bridge. My commute to FC Road took much longer than usual,” he said.

Another commuter reported that traffic movement slowed considerably on Karve Road and Deccan areas following the rainfall. Aditi Goswami, a resident of Mundhwa, said, “The KP signal near Hotel Westin was packed and I was stuck there for a long time.”

The weather also triggered tree-fall incidents across Pimpri Chinchwad. The fire brigade department of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) received more than 17 calls related to tree collapse incidents between 4pm and 6pm following heavy rain and gusty wind conditions.

Venkatesh Durvas, PCMC deputy municipal commissioner and head of the fire brigade department, said a tree in Bhosari was struck by lightning and caught fire, though no injuries were reported. “No major waterlogging or property damage was reported due to tree collapse incidents. The fire brigade department responded to all emergency calls,” Durvas said.

Residents, however, said falling trees damaged vehicles in some localities. Sachin Siddhe, a resident of Ravet, said, “At least two vehicles were damaged in the parking area of our society as trees fell on them.”