Keep umbrella handy, IMD forecasts wet days

PUNE: The India Meteorological Department has forecast heavy spells of rain for the next two days in the city.
After that, rain is expected to reduce but light spells may continue till at least September 24.
After a few days of light drizzle, Pune received a good spell of rainfall on Thursday and Friday. "Heavy rainfall over parts of Central Maharashtra, Konkan and Goa is expected during the next 24 hours," an IMD official said, adding that light to moderate rain is expected over Vidarbha and Marathwada.
Pune recorded 2.8mm rainfall in the last 24 hours, taking the season's total to 521.8mm, which is 37.4mm more than the normal.
An official said that a low pressure area that lies over Vidarbha and adjoining areas of Telangana, and associated cyclonic circulation that extends up to mid-tropospheric levels and tilts in the southwest direction, will cause this rainfall.
A fresh cyclonic circulation over west-central Bay of Bengal, off the Andhra Pradesh coast, which is likely to intensify into a low pressure area in the next 48 hours, will also add to the rain.
"Increased monsoon rain over the west coast is occurring because of moisture incursion over the region," an IMD official said. Vigorous monsoon activities were recorded over parts of Maharashtra in the last 48 hours and can be attributed to a low pressure area over Telangana and adjoining areas.
As southwest monsoon withdraws from West Rajasthan, there are clear indications that this could further raise the rainfall deficit for the season. The overall monsoon rainfall deficiency at present is 5%.
From June 1 to September 15, the country as a whole has recorded 771.8mm of rainfall, against the average 814.2mm. There are still two weeks left of southwest monsoon, so it remains to be seen if the IMD's plus or minus 4 forecast of 106% Long Period Average will hold true.