Climate & Environment
Pune Records Lowest October Rainfall Amid Early Monsoon Withdrawal
On October 31, weather stations across Pune district recorded varying rainfall amounts over a 24‑hour period: 67 mm in Bhor, 45.5 mm in Shirur, 18 mm in Magarpatta, 17 mm in Nimgiri, and 7 mm in Pashan. The main India Meteorological Department (IMD) station in Shivajinagar, however, reported only 1.7 mm, the lowest October rainfall since 2014. An expert from Vagaries of the Weather noted that the near absence of rain, combined with unusually high temperatures, made October particularly uncomfortable.
IMD data show that Shivajinagar’s October rainfall in recent years ranged from 18.6 mm in 2023 to 61.2 mm in 2024 and 67.3 mm in 2025, with 313 mm in 2020 and 235 mm in 2019. The expert attributed this year’s drought to the early withdrawal of the southwest monsoon—normally around October 10, but on October 3 in 2026—along with a lack of post‑monsoon thunderstorms. From mid‑September, Pune typically receives localized thunderstorms triggered by weather systems from the Bay of Bengal or wind pattern discontinuities over Marathwada and Madhya Maharashtra. No strong system developed in 2026, and an early anticyclone over Gujarat kept Maharashtra dry.
The expected moisture flow from the Bay of Bengal was also largely absent. Although the Northeast Monsoon settled over Tamil Nadu, the easterly trough that usually transports moisture inland did not extend far enough north to benefit Maharashtra, nor did a low‑pressure system form over the Arabian Sea to bring moisture to Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada.
The expert cautioned against linking the lack of rain to El Nino, noting that in 2015—another El Nino year—Shivajinagar received 76.7 mm of October rainfall. In September 2015, the station recorded 173 mm, compared with 64.1 mm in September 2026.
October 2026 was also one of the hottest, with an average maximum temperature of 34.66 °C, higher than the 31.3 °C average in 2025. Since 2014, the highest October maximum average has been 33.2 °C in 2018. On October 31, the IMD forecast for November 2026 indicated that above‑normal maximum and minimum temperatures are likely across most parts of the country.