Scorching Sunday in Pune as Lohegaon records 42.7°C, Shivajinagar 41.4°C

The IMD forecast indicated light rainfall with gusty winds over the next 24 hours, with Pune likely to see light rain till Monday. The forecast through May 16 calls for mainly clear mornings and gradually partly cloudy afternoons and evenings. Anupam Kashyapi, former head of the IMD weather forecasting division, attributed the heat to high atmospheric moisture and rising temperatures and urged adherence to heat advisories and hydration.

Other central Maharashtra districts also reported high temperatures: Malegaon 42.2°C, Solapur 41.6°C, Nashik 40.6°C, and Sangli 40°C.

Besides Lohegaon and Shivajinagar, Koregaon Park and Wadgaon Sheri logged 40.9°C, while Dudulgaon recorded 40.7°C and Talegaon 40.6°C.

IMD data show Pune's heat peak on Sunday with Lohegaon at 42.7°C and Shivajinagar at 41.4°C, about 3.4°C above normal and the highest May temperatures in the area since 2016. The previous May record was 41.3°C in 2019. In addition to these two areas, Koregaon Park and Wadgaon Sheri recorded 40.9°C, while Dudulgaon and Talegaon posted 40.7°C and 40.6°C respectively. The IMD forecast then indicated light rainfall with gusty winds over the next 24 hours, and a pattern of mainly clear mornings through May 16 as the pre-monsoon season progresses. Meteorologists cited high atmospheric moisture and rising temperatures as factors driving the heat and advised heat advisories and hydration.

The article notes that the previous highest May temperature in the area was 41.3°C in May 2019.