After days of relentless downpours, residents across Maharashtra can finally expect some relief. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Pune, rainfall is likely to pause for an entire week starting Friday, May 30, across the state, except for light spells that may continue in the ghat areas.
SD Sanap, senior meteorologist at IMD Pune, told mid-day, “The ongoing rainfall is expected to take a break for about a week beginning May 30. A light spell may occur on Thursday, but the overall intensity is set to decrease significantly, especially in Madhya Maharashtra, including Pune and Marathwada. Only isolated, light showers are likely in these regions.”
A yellow alert may remain in place for the ghat areas of Pune. The IMD has downgraded its warning for Pune from an orange alert to a yellow alert, indicating a reduction in rainfall intensity. After several days of heavy rain, citizens can expect light to moderate showers in the coming days, though isolated areas in the Western Ghats may continue to receive rainfall. From May 30 onward, only light rain is predicted for Pune, reflecting a general decline in statewide rainfall.
IMD has advised citizens to avoid sheltering under trees during thunderstorms and to stay indoors during lightning activity. People have been urged to unplug electrical appliances and avoid using mobile phones during lightning storms to minimise the risk of electric shock or fire.
This year, the monsoon arrived early in May, bringing widespread chaos. From May 1 to May 26, Pune recorded 195 incidents of tree falls. Two lives were lost due to falling trees. Rahul Joshi, a 49-year-old resident of Suvidha Ambar Society in Narhe-Dhayari, was seriously injured when a tree fell on him near Alankar Police Chowkie in Karvenagar. In another incident, 76-year-old Subhadra Sapre, a resident of Anandnagar on Sinhagad Road, died after a large branch of a Gulmohar tree fell on the auto-rickshaw she was travelling in near Neelayam Bridge. The auto-rickshaw driver sustained minor injuries and was treated and discharged.
In Nigdi Pradhikaran, a tree fell on a car, blocking the entire road. According to the fire brigade, from January to April 2025, a total of 165 tree fall incidents were reported, and an additional 195 were recorded in just the first 26 days of May. In comparison, May 2024 saw 491 tree-fall incidents, while the entire year of 2024 recorded 1685 such cases. This year, although the early monsoon triggered a surge in tree-fall cases, no drowning incidents have been reported so far, unlike the six reported in May last year.
Flooding and water intrusion also disrupted life in several parts of Pune. On May 23, reports of water entering homes and huts came in from FC Road, Bavdhan, Ambegaon Pathar, Kothrud, Ambil Odha, and Vadgaon Sheri. On May 25, waterlogging was reported in Shivajinagar, Baner, Bhusari Ghat, Solapur Road, Sakal Nagar, Sukhsagar Nagar, Dhanori, Warje, BT Kawade Road, Mundhwa, Nana Peth, Sadhu Vaswani Chowk, Parvati, Satara Road, and Erandwane. Between 11.00 am on May 26 and 4.15 am the next day, further incidents were recorded in Manjari Budruk, Kothrud, Pune Station, Mundhwa, Swargate, Sahakarnagar, and Parvati.
In Pimpri-Chinchwad, low-lying areas, including Akurdi and Nigdi, also experienced waterlogging.
