IMD issues yellow alert for rain, thunderstorms across Maharashtra

The Indian Meteorological Department IMD on Friday issued a yellow warning for several districts across Maharashtra As per the weather agency Latur Nashik Palghar Raigad Ratnagiri and Satara may experience light spells of rain and thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds during the early hours of FridayThe warning issued at 700 am on Friday further asserted that unprecedented weather conditions across several districts of Maharashtra are likely to prevail for three hoursAlong with light to moderate spells of rain the weather department has also predicted gusty winds with speeds reaching 3040 kmh in these regionsAuthorities have urged residents to take necessary precautions especially while travelling or engaging in outdoor activities due to the risk posed by lightning and strong windsA yellow warning indicates the need for people to stay alert and be updated on weather conditions The IMD continues to monitor the situation and has advised citizens to follow official updates for any changes in weather conditionsWhile the state has been experiencing heatwave conditions for the last few weeks the spell of rain over the weekend may make the conditions a bit coolerVidarbha remains the worsthit region amid the heatwaveVidarbha remained the worstaffected region with multiple cities consistently staying above 43 degrees Celsius Marathwada and Madhya Maharashtra also experienced severe heat while the Mumbai and Konkan coast remained relatively cooler at 315 to 336 degrees Celsius but suffered from high humidity levels of 65 to 80 per cent making conditions far more uncomfortableNashik records lowest minimum temperatureWhile the entire state experienced extreme heat over the last few days Nashik recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the state at just 163 degrees Celsius on ThursdayHow Maharashtra is facing three different heat patternsMaharashtra is currently experiencing three distinct types of heat depending on the regionVidarbha Worst affected by extreme dry heatVidarbha was by far the worst affected The region recorded the most extreme temperatures in the state with Akola and Amravati both touching 442 degrees Celsius the highest in Maharashtra and the entire country so far this year Wardha followed closely at 440 degrees Celsius while Chandrapur Washim Nagpur and Yavatmal all remained above 43 degrees Celsius The heat remained dry with very low humidity and no rainfall recorded anywhere in the regionMarathwada Severe but slightly lower heatMarathwada also faced severe heat though slightly less intense than Vidarbha Parbhani was the hottest at 420 degrees Celsius followed by Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar at 414 degrees Celsius and Udgir at 404 degrees Celsius The weather remained dry with low humidity levels and zero rainfallMumbai Konkan and Pune Humid but relatively coolerIn sharp contrast Mumbai and the Konkan region including Pune remained comparatively cooler Mumbai Colaba recorded 336 degrees Celsius while Santacruz stood at 331 degrees Celsius Coastal stations such as Alibag Ratnagiri and Dahanu stayed between 315 and 331 degrees Celsius However high humidity levels of 65 to 80 per cent made conditions more oppressive Pune recorded 397 degrees Celsius hot but lower than interior districts with low humidity and clear skies