Moderate to heavy rain to continue in Mumbai and suburbs till Wednesday: IMD

As per IMD’s regional forecasting centre in Mumbai, moderate rain in city and suburbs with possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places is likely to continue for the next 48 hours.

Mumbai and surrounding areas received widespread moderate to heavy rains in the last 24 hours up to 8:30 am on Monday, with most monitoring stations in south Mumbai receiving between 20 to 40 mm rainfall and parts of Thane and Navi Mumbai receiving between 40 to 70 mm rain, as per weather department data.

The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) observatory in Thane recorded the heaviest showers, touching 142 mm in the last 24 hours. (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) observatory in Thane recorded the heaviest showers, touching 142 mm in the last 24 hours. IMD’s observatory in Santacruz, considered representative of the city, recorded 39 mm of rain in the same period.

As per IMD’s regional forecasting centre in Mumbai, “moderate rain in city and suburbs with possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places” is likely to continue for the next 48 hours.

The department said that the rains were the result of a favourable synoptic situation arising from an active monsoon trough running across the country from east to west, in close proximity to cyclonic circulations associated with low-pressure areas over Rajasthan and the Bay of Bengal. For the north Maharashtra coast, southwesterly winds of 35 to 40 kmph speed will prevail.

A spokesperson with the IMD’s regional centre in Mumbai said, “It will be a wet couple of days around Mumbai. As the low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal moves inward, into Odisha, it will sustain the sporadic rains that the MMR region has been receiving. There may be chances of heavier rains in some parts of north Maharashtra on September 14. Please wait for IMD’s update later today for the official forecast.”

As per the district-wise forecast released by the IMD's regional centre Monday afternoon, Mumbai has been placed under an orange category weather alert on Monday, September 13 -- indicating likely chances of heavy rain, with very heavy rain at isolated locations -- followed by a yellow category weather alert on September 14, indicating likely chances of heavy rain at isolated locations.

The intensity of rainfall is likely to reduce from Wednesday, when Mumbai has been placed under a green category weather alert, indicating only moderate rains. The India Meteorological Department classifies 15.6-64.4 mm as moderate rain while 64.5-115.5 mm rain as heavy, 115.6-204.4 mm as very heavy, over 204.5 mm as extremely heavy rain, and over 300 mm as exceptionally heavy rain.

Raigad, Ratnagiri, Thane and Palghar districts, too, have been placed under an orange category weather alert on Monday, while Sindhudurg (the furthest in proximity to prevailing rain-bearing weather systems) has been placed under a yellow category weather alert. Palghar, which is the closest to the active monsoon trough, has been kept under an orange alert for Tuesday. Wednesday onward, all Konkan districts will receive only moderate rain, expect Palghar, when showers will continue to remain between heavy to very heavy.

Nashik, Pune, Satara and Kohlapur districts in Madhya Maharashtra, too, have been placed under an orange category weather alert today, but are expected to see lighter rainfall from Tuesday. The entire state has been placed under a green alert September 16 onward.