The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for Mumbai, predicting rainfall, thunderstorms and gusty winds in the region over the next 3-4 hours.
The weather department issued the alert on the Nowcast at 4:25 pm and has forecasted light rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds with a maximum speed less than 40 kilometers per hour in Mumbai.
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Thane has been issued an orange alert, and is set to have moderate rainfall and thunderstorm conditions. Other districts in Maharashtra have also been issued similar warnings, such as Palghar, Raigad, Nashik and Pune.
Parts of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane have started to experience cloudy skies and dust storm-like conditions, with many residents sharing videos of the unexpected weather online.
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One resident of Thane shared a video of obscured dusty skies and said, “Why is there a dust storm in Thane all of a sudden?”
Unseasonal rainfall across Maharashtra
Light rainfall was experienced in Mumbai, Karjat and Kasara two days ago. Currently, the Pune district is facing moderate showers as well as hailstorms after days of high temperatures.
{{/usCountry}}Light rainfall was experienced in Mumbai, Karjat and Kasara two days ago. Currently, the Pune district is facing moderate showers as well as hailstorms after days of high temperatures.
{{/usCountry}}This week, the interior region of Maharashtra has received unseasonal rainfall, including Vidarbha, Marathwada and North Maharashtra.
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Earlier this week, a senior meteorologist from IMD's Pune office, SD Sanap, told Hindustan Times that multiple weather systems had prompted unseasonal rain across several districts in Maharashtra.
"The system includes an upper air cyclonic circulation that lies over Marathwada and adjoining Central Maharashtra in the lower tropospheric levels. An upper air trough in easterlies runs from South Interior Karnataka to southwest Madhya Pradesh across the above cyclonic circulation over Marathwada in the lower tropospheric levels. Under the influence of these systems, many areas, especially the southern and central parts of the state, including the Pune district, are receiving good rainfall,” she said.
She also said that the rain is likely to subside over the next few days.