Pune experienced its highest April rainfall in 128 years on Thursday afternoon, disrupting normal life across the city.
Shivajinagar recorded 65 mm of rain in just two hours, while NDA reported 84 mm and Hadapsar 42.5 mm. The India Meteorological Department confirmed that the previous record stood at 51.1 mm in April 1896.
The intense rainfall caused widespread flooding and traffic jams. Roads such as Solapur Highway and Magarpatta Road turned into streams, leaving vehicles stranded and commuters struggling through knee-deep water. Several people pushed stalled vehicles to safety as traffic slowed across major routes.
The heavy rain also led to structural damage. A boundary wall collapsed in Baner, while compound walls fell in Ravet and NIBM Road. Strong winds uprooted trees, one of which tragically killed a 60-year-old flower vendor, Ranjana Navnath Giri, near Navshya Maruti Mandir in Parvati. Two others sustained minor injuries.
Power supply disruptions affected areas, including Kondhwa, Kothrud, Hadapsar, and Dhayari, leaving residents without electricity during peak evening hours. Flight operations at Pune airport faced delays, and one IndiGo flight from Ahmedabad to Pune diverted to Goa due to bad weather. Passengers struggled to find transport as autorickshaws remained stuck in traffic.
Weather experts attributed the sudden rainfall to moisture inflow from the Arabian Sea combined with shifting wind patterns, which triggered rapid cloud formation and intense showers.
