Mumbai wakes up to third consecutive day of rain, intensity to decrease

IMD has placed Mumbai under an orange category storm warning for the next four days, indicating “moderate to heavy rain/thundershowers in city and suburbs with possibility of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places”

Mumbai woke up to its third consecutive day of rainfall on Tuesday, recording 38.4mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8.30am. This was down from 70.44mm of rain recorded in the 24 hours prior. The total rainfall for the month of July now stands at 958.4mm, in excess of the 827mm normal set by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). In the last four days alone, the city has received 699mm of rain. Seasonally speaking, Mumbai has now received 1958.2mm of rain, or 88.8% of the total seasonal normal up to September-end.

Thane railway station completed inundated due to incessant rain. (HT PHOTO)

IMD has placed Mumbai under an orange category storm warning for the next four days, indicating “moderate to heavy rain/thundershowers in city and suburbs with possibility of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places.”

Latest radar observations from the IMD’s doppler instrument in Colaba, however, suggest that rainfall intensity will continue to decrease, and shows only isolated clouds over the city, suburbs and adjacent areas like Thane.

An offshore monsoon trough near the Maharashtra coast is likely to remain vigorous for the next few days, and Mumbai will continue to see an active monsoon spell till at least July 23, according to officials and independent forecasters. The next week will also have another two to three active spells of rain under the influence of more typical synoptic features, namely a low pressure area forming over the Bay of Bengal between July 20-21.

“During the day we are not expecting any heavy showers, but there may be an increase in intensity toward the evening. Within the next 36 to 48 hours, however, there will be another two to three spells of heavy rain as the low pressure system forms over the Bay of Bengal. More detailed forecast will be released later today,” said a spokesperson with IMD’s regional centre in Mumbai.