Orange alert for Mumbai, Konkan coast till June 15

Earlier on Saturday, the IMD had issued a red alert for Mumbai and the entire Konkan region, but this was later downgraded to an orange category alert for all districts except Ratnagiri and Raigad.

Mumbai and the entire Konkan coast in Maharashtra are likely to see heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated locations on Sunday and Monday. Raigad and Ratnagiri districts have been placed under a red category storm alert for Sunday and Monday, indicating a higher chance of severe weather, while Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Sindhudurg districts have been placed under an orange category storm warning.

Mumbai has now recorded a total of 706.1 mm of rain (as of 5:30 pm on Saturday) -- as against the monthly average rainfall of 505 mm -- between June 1 and June 12. (HT PHOTO.)

Earlier on Saturday, the IMD had issued a red alert for Mumbai and the entire Konkan region, but this was later downgraded to an orange category alert for all districts except Ratnagiri and Raigad, as the “heavy rainfall belt has moved southwards”, IMD officials clarified. However, with the formation of a low-pressure area over north Bay of Bengal and cyclonic circulations in the Arabian Sea facilitating strong westerly winds, an active rainfall spell is expected over the Konkan coast for at least the next four to five days, IMD officials said.

Mumbai has now recorded a total of 706.1mm of rain (as of 5:30 pm on Saturday) -- as against the monthly average rainfall of 505 mm -- between June 1 and June 12. This includes rainfall accumulation from pre-monsoon showers between June 1 and June 8. In the 24 hours ending 8:30am on Saturday, Mumbai had received 107mm of rainfall, as per the automatic weather station at Santacruz. In the nine hours ending 5:30 pm, the Santacruz observatory recorded 64.8 mm rain.

Mumbai’s only operational doppler radar at Colaba, meanwhile, was revived after over three weeks of inoperation on Saturday. The radar had been defunct since May 16, a day before Cyclone Tauktae passed the city on its way to Gujarat. Dr MN Rajeevan, secretary, ministry of earth sciences, had told HT on Friday that it was likely to remain defunct for at least two months. Despite repeated requests, IMD officials did not clarify the reason for the radar’s speedy repair.