Maharashtra was hit by unseasonal rain on Wednesday with thunderstorms and gusty winds lashing several parts of the State, including Mumbai and Pune.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rain in these areas and in northern Maharashtra and Konkan region on Thursday also.
It advised farmers, particularly those cultivating rice, to complete the harvest work and store the produce in safe places.
Earlier, the IMD had issued ‘yellow’ alert for Mumbai city, Thane, and Raigad districts along with Pune, Ahmednagar, Satara and Marathwada while an amber alert was issued for Palghar and north Maharashtra including Nashik, Dhule and Nandurbar.
“Associated strong winds and presence of moisture will cause thunderstorms and rainfall over north Madhya Maharashtra and Konkan regions till December 2,” said Anupam Kashyapi, head, weather forecasting division, IMD, Pune.
Farmers to hit
“Grape orchards in Nashik are at a major risk as are the tomato, onion and potato crops. The rice-growing region in the Konkan is likely to be badly afflicted and one may see a rise in crop diseases and pest influx,” said weather expert Ramchandra Sable.
Agriculture in the State has been plagued by excess rain in the last three monsoon seasons besides being hit hard by frequent rounds of unseasonal rain since 2019. This year, 436 people lost their lives to rain-related accidents like landslips, floods and inclement weather. More than 17 lakh hectares of cropland have been ravaged owing to heavy rainfall aggravated by cyclonic storms.
