Thunder, lightning and rain lashed parts of Pune on Friday after the skies started darkening in the late afternoon and gusting winds of 30-40 kmph swept through the streets. By 6 pm, Shivajinagar and Pashan had received 13.1 mm of rain. Chinchwad recorded the highest rainfall at 60 mm, followed by Hadapsar with 37.5 mm, NDA 29.5 mm, Koregaon Park 9.5 mm and Lavale 4.5 mm.

In meteorological parlance, this was classified as “light to moderate” rain, but the city was not complaining. The sudden cool breeze and the warm smell of wet earth came as a welcome relief after days of intense heat, even if temperatures were slightly lower than those recorded last week.

“We had noticed significant heating, with the maximum temperature in Shivajinagar rising to 37°C. At the same time, there was moisture incursion from the Arabian Sea. When there is high temperature along with sufficient moisture over a region, conditions become favourable for the formation of cumulonimbus clouds, which are associated with thunder, lightning and rain,” said SD Sanap, a scientist with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Pune.

Since daytime temperatures played a role in triggering the rainfall, the weather office pointed out that Magarpatta, the warmest part of the city on Friday, recorded a maximum temperature of 41.5°C. In Pashan, the maximum temperature dropped marginally from 38.5°C on Thursday to 37.6°C on Friday.

In Lohegaon, which has reeled under heatwave-like conditions for much of this month, the daytime temperature on Friday stood at 39.2°C, or 2.6 degrees above normal. However, it offered slight relief compared to the 40°C recorded 24 hours earlier. Chinchwad ended the week with a maximum temperature of 35.4°C, cooler than Koregaon Park, which recorded 37.3°C during the day.

The IMD has issued a yellow alert — indicating that people should remain informed but that conditions are not severe — for parts of Central Maharashtra and Marathwada on May 23, warning of thunderstorms, lightning and squalls. Sanap added that the rain was unrelated to the monsoon. While the monsoon has set in over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, it has yet to reach Kerala, after which it will gradually advance northwards towards Maharashtra.

For Pune, the IMD has forecast a maximum temperature of 40°C in Shivajinagar and Pashan over the next two days. Lohegaon, Koregaon Park and Magarpatta are expected to witness maximum temperatures of 42°C on May 23 and 24. The city’s minimum temperature is expected to remain between 23°C and 27°C.

Meanwhile, a red alert for severe heatwave conditions and warm nights has been issued for Vidarbha and is expected to remain in force till May 24. On Friday, Bramhapuri in Vidarbha recorded the highest maximum temperature in Maharashtra at 47°C, which was 4.6 degrees above normal.