Thunderstorm to return to Mumbai, Thane as Bengal storm threatens rain across Maharashtra; yellow alert in 6 districts
New Delhi: Parts of Maharashtra are set to see another round of unseasonal showers over the next three days as a new weather system takes shape over the Bay of Bengal. Coming just days after Cyclone Arnab swept past the region, this fresh low-pressure area over the South Andaman Sea is picking up pace quickly. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has noted that the system could strengthen into a cyclonic storm by Sunday night, likely crossing the south Andhra Pradesh coastline between Nellore and Narasapur by Tuesday morning with sustained winds hitting 100 to 110 kmph.
The developing storm is already pulling moisture inland, setting off sudden atmospheric shifts across western and central India. With thunder and lightning on the cards, the weather bureau has put six districts in Vidarbha under a yellow alert for Sunday, November 1.
The alert covers Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, and Yavatmal. People living in these pockets have been told to watch out for sudden gusty winds and severe lightning strikes. Local officials and forecasters have urged residents to avoid open fields and stay away from tall trees or temporary tin structures when thunderstorms hit.
Showers likely across Mumbai, Konkan, and Western Maharashtra
Further west, Mumbai and its neighbouring suburbs are also in for sporadic rain. The city has already seen scattered spells over the past couple of days, and forecasters expect light to moderate showers to continue on and off over the next four to five days. Districts like Thane, Palghar, and parts of coastal Konkan are likely to see similar weather. Independent weather watchers point out that rain activity could peak around November 2 and 3 before slowly tapering off by November 4.
Scattered drizzles won’t be limited to the coast. Downpours are also expected across Pune, Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Satara, Kolhapur, Sangli, Latur, Dharashiv, and Sindhudurg, especially around the ghat sections.
Shifting mercury levels across the state
The ongoing cloud cover has already brought day temperatures down in parts of Konkan and Vidarbha. Meanwhile, interior pockets of Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada have stayed slightly warmer, clocking 1 to 2 degrees Celsius above normal. Over the coming days, the IMD expects day temperatures to climb by 2 to 3 degrees across the state, with night temperatures ticking up by 1 to 2 degrees. Even with this wet spell, the IMD noted that overall countrywide rainfall for November is expected to remain below the monthly average.
For now, farmers, commuters, and daily wagers across the alert zones are advised to track local bulletins closely. The full extent of the showers across Maharashtra will depend on how the Bay of Bengal system tracks over the next 48 hours.