Pune: Day temperatures climbed to the highest levels of the season yet in the city and several parts of Maharashtra on Thursday, with clear skies and weak winds pushing the mercury upward across the region.In Shivajinagar, the city’s main weather observatory, the maximum temperature reached 36°C, about 1.8° above normal, while Lohegaon recorded 37.6°C, nearly 3.4° above normal, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data. Relative humidity levels also dropped sharply during the day — down to 18% at Shivajinagar and around 10% at Lohegaon — contributing to the dry and warm conditions. Other monitoring stations around the city also recorded elevated temperatures.
Chinchwad logged a maximum of 36.2°C, while Lavale reported 36.9°C.Across Madhya Maharashtra and Vidarbha, temperatures remained high as well. Solapur recorded 38.8°C, Sangli 37.5°C, and Malegaon 37°C. In Vidarbha, Amravati emerged as the hottest place in the state at 39.8°C, followed by Akola at 39.5°C, Wardha 39.1°C, Brahmapuri at 39°C, and Chandrapur at 38.5°C.Meteorologists said the rising temperatures are linked to an anticyclonic circulation covering Gujarat, parts of Madhya Maharashtra and the adjoining Arabian Sea, which is creating stable atmospheric conditions.
“An anticyclonic circulation over a large region including Gujarat and parts of Madhya Maharashtra is influencing the weather. Such systems lead to subsidence of air, which suppresses cloud formation and keeps the skies clear,” said SD Sanap, scientist at IMD Pune.Sanap added that light winds and sinking air are also contributing to the heating. “Wind speeds are currently low and there is clear sky associated with this anticyclonic circulation. These factors together are causing temperatures to rise,” he said.According to the IMD’s forecast, day temperatures in Pune could increase by another 1-2° in the coming days, with maximum temperatures likely to approach around 39°C.While the department has not officially forecast 40°C for the city, officials said the possibility cannot be completely ruled out. “We have not given a forecast of 40°C at present. But we are monitoring the situation closely,” Sanap said.Despite the heat, weather observers said that the arrival of 36°C in Pune this year has been relatively delayed. According to an expert from the independent weather blog Vagaries of Weather, Thursday marked one of the latest occurrences of the first 36°C day (for the month of March) in Pune after 2022, indicating a slightly slower seasonal build-up of heat.Meanwhile, temperatures have also surged along the Konkan coast. Mumbai’s Santacruz observatory recorded 38.9°C on Thursday — nearly 5.9° above normal — making it the highest temperature recorded there so far this year, the expert said.
