Pune: Pune is poised to end August with below-normal rainfall: A practical reader guide

Pune: Pune is poised to end August with below-normal rainfall: A practical reader guide

Pune: Pune is set to end August with below-normal rainfall, with the city recording 80.8 mm against the normal August rainfall of 145.5 mm — a deficit of 64.7 mm, or 44.5%.

Despite the August deficit, water storage in the major dams supplying Pune remains around 100% of capacity, largely due to exceptionally heavy rainfall in July. The resulting high inflows have kept reservoir levels comfortable despite the relatively dry conditions this month.

Rainfall has been highly uneven through the monsoon so far. August has seen a sharp decline in rainfall activity. With September still to come, the overall performance of the monsoon will be clearer only after the final month of the season.

In June, Pune received 64 mm, against the normal 152.9 mm, a deficit of 58.1%. July then brought exceptionally heavy rain, with 508.9 mm recorded against the normal 190 mm — a surplus of 318.9 mm, or 167.8%. With August rainfall included, Pune has received 653.7 mm between June and August, compared with the combined normal of 488.4 mm. This puts cumulative rainfall 33.8% above normal, driven largely by the exceptional rainfall in July. The figures underline the uneven nature of the 2026 monsoon — a deficient June, an exceptionally wet July and a below-normal August.

Senior meteorologist, IMD Pune, there is currently no significant rainfall alert for the city, according to SD Sanap. “Pune is likely to experience cloudy skies with light rainfall over the next four to five days,” he said.