Pune: Despite being a rain shadow region, Pune is the only district in Maharashtrawhere yearly rainfall has increased significantly since 1961 though close to 85 districts in the country, including in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, among others, have witnessed decreasing annual rainfall during the last five decades, a recent analysis by India Meteorological Department (IMD) has found.

Pune: Despite being a rain shadow region, Pune is the only district in Maharashtrawhere yearly rainfall has increased significantly since 1961 though close to 85 districts in the country, including in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, among others, have witnessed decreasing annual rainfall during the last five decades, a recent analysis by India Meteorological Department (IMD) has found.

The IMD study analysed long-term trend of annual and seasonal rainfall over 632 districts and 34 meteorological sub-divisions using rainfall data from 1901 to 2013. The analysis was done barring Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands.

The analysis found that while monsoon and annual rainfall has decreased significantly in Pune from 1901 to 2013, the district's annual rainfall has increased over the recent decades — from 1961-2013.

Annual and monsoon rainfall for Mumbai suburban and Raigad, too, has decreased during the 113-year period, the study found. Conversely, from 1961 to 2013, the annual rainfall for the two coastal districts has increased, but not significantly.

Meanwhile, most districts in Delhi — central Delhi, east Delhi, north Delhi, northeast Delhi, northwest Delhi, south Delhi, southwest Delhi and west Delhi — showed a decreasing trend in annual rainfall since 1961.