The India Meteorological Department has announced the complete withdrawal of the Southwest Monsoon from Maharashtra, with Pune expected to experience mostly dry weather and gradually rising temperatures over the coming week. The monsoon withdrew from Pune and Mumbai on October 3, at least five days ahead of schedule and the earliest exit from these areas in more than 20 years.
The withdrawal line, as reported by the IMD on October 8, passed through Ranchi, Sundargarh, Bargarh, Bijapur, Hyderabad, Belagavi and Panjim. With the system moving away from Maharashtra, Pune is expected to see limited rainfall and a steady increase in daytime and night-time temperatures.
Shivajinagar, Pune’s chief weather observatory, recorded a maximum temperature of 35.2 degrees Celsius on October 8. The station had recorded 35.7 degrees Celsius on October 6, the highest October temperature there since 2002. The maximum temperature in Shivajinagar is expected to reach 36 degrees in the coming days.
Other parts of the city also recorded elevated temperatures. Pashan and Lohegaon recorded maximum temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius, while Chinchwad was marginally warmer. Magarpatta and the National Defence Academy recorded maximum temperatures of 33.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
Morning temperatures are also expected to rise across the city. Shivajinagar recorded a minimum of 21.1 degrees Celsius on October 8, but the minimum is expected to reach 23 degrees in Shivajinagar, Pashan, Lohegaon, Chinchwad and Lavale over the next few days. Magarpatta is expected to record the warmest mornings, with minimum temperatures likely to reach 26 degrees Celsius within three to four days.
The higher temperatures are not limited to Pune. On the morning of October 8, Satara recorded a maximum temperature of 35.7 degrees Celsius, which was 4.8 degrees above normal. Ahmednagar recorded 36.3 degrees Celsius, or 4.5 degrees above normal, while Solapur reached 37.6 degrees Celsius, 4.8 degrees above normal.
Mahabaleshwar remained considerably cooler, recording a maximum temperature of 27.9 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 18.6 degrees. None of the listed stations recorded rainfall during the 24-hour period ending on the morning of October 8.
For Pune’s residents, the early end to the monsoon means the city is moving quickly from a wet-season pattern into hotter and drier conditions. The temperature rise is being recorded across multiple monitoring stations, including dense urban areas such as Magarpatta and industrial and suburban zones such as Chinchwad and Lohegaon. The IMD’s forecast indicates that the next week will remain mostly dry, with temperatures continuing to rise gradually.
