A fierce burst of heavy rain accompanied by strong winds struck Pune on Tuesday afternoon, causing widespread disruption. The sudden storm toppled large hoardings, uprooted numerous trees, and flooded many low-lying neighborhoods, leaving the city grappling with property damage but thankfully no injuries.

At around 3:30 pm, a massive billboard near Sanaswadi Chowk on Pune–Ahilyanagar road collapsed, crushing at least five parked vehicles, police officials confirmed. In another incident, strong winds brought down a hoarding in Dhanori, adding to the chaos. While the damage to vehicles and infrastructure was considerable, no casualties were reported in these events.

The city’s fire brigade was kept busy responding to around 15 tree-fall reports across several key localities including Yerawada, Koregaon Park, Tingre Nagar, Erandwane, Hadapsar, and Fatima Nagar. Fallen trees and scattered debris blocked roads, causing traffic snarls, while rainwater pooled in low areas, reaching knee-level in some places.

Commuters were taken by surprise as visibility dropped sharply during peak hours, forcing many to seek shelter from the strong gusts sweeping through Pune. Emergency response teams were promptly deployed to clear roads and manage the storm’s aftermath.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed this abrupt weather to a developing system over the Arabian Sea. This disturbance is expected to intensify into a low-pressure area by May 22, potentially bringing more unseasonal rainfall and thunderstorms to Pune, Mumbai, and other parts of Maharashtra in the coming days.