Unseasonal rains lashed Maharashtra on Wednesday with thunder and gusty winds lashed many parts of the state, including Mumbai and Pune.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted light to moderate rain in these areas and North Maharashtra and Konkan region on Thursday as well.
It advised farmers, especially those cultivating rice, to complete the harvest work and store the produce in safe places.
Earlier, the IMD had issued a ‘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 northern Maharashtra including Nashik, Dhule and Nandurbar. .
Anupam Kashyapi, head of the weather forecast department, IMD, Pune, said, “With the presence of strong winds and moisture, there will be thunder and rain in North Madhya Maharashtra and Konkan regions till December 2.
farmer to hit
“Vineyards in Nashik are at a major risk as are tomato, onion and potato crops. The rice growing area in Konkan is likely to be badly affected and may see an increase in influx of crop diseases and pests,” said meteorologist Ramchandra Sable.
Agriculture in the state has been badly hit by continuous spells of unseasonal rains since 2019 apart from excess rainfall in the last three monsoon seasons. This year, 436 people lost their lives in rain-related accidents like landslides, floods and bad weather. More than 17 lakh hectares of crops have been destroyed due to heavy rains caused by cyclonic storms.
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