City sees highest August rain in 9 years; orange alert today

With another nine days to go till the end of the month, the city has recorded its highest August rainfall over the past nine years and is 46mm short of breaking

With another nine days to go till the end of the month, the city has recorded its highest August rainfall over the past nine years and is 46mm short of breaking the maximum monthly rain record for the decade.

HT Image

The weather bureau on Friday upgraded its rain warnings for the Konkan coast, including Mumbai and parts of central Maharashtra, by issuing an orange alert (heavy to very heavy rain in isolated areas) for overnight rain between Friday and Saturday, and throughout Saturday. A yellow alert (heavy rain across isolated areas) has been predicted for Sunday.

“Enhanced rain activity is expected over the Konkan coast with gusty winds, with speed reaching 45-55kmph along and off the coast over the next 24 to 48 hours. Active monsoon conditions are under the influence of a well-marked low pressure area lying over east Madhya Pradesh and adjoining parts of central India that is drawing strong southwesterly winds and moisture over the coast and isolated areas of interior Maharashtra,” said Shubhangi Bhute, director, regional meteorological centre, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Mumbai.

A red alert has been issued for Pune, while the orange alert stands for all Konkan districts, yellow alert is in place for north Maharashtra districts, Satara and Kolhapur.

Between August 1 and August 21, 5.30 pm, the Santacruz weather observatory, representative of the suburbs and Mumbai, recorded 990.5mm rain, surpassing the August 2017 record of 950.3 mm, making it the highest monthly rainfall since 2011. With heavy to very heavy rain predicted for Saturday, the city is likely to break the 10-year monthly rain record of 1,036.5 mm (August 2010). The all-time highest August rain of 1254 mm was recorded in 1958. In August 2011, the city had recorded 855.2 mm.

Continuous showers with intermittent intense rain spells were witnessed from early Friday morning onwards and light to moderate rain continued across the city and suburbs till the afternoon. While Santacruz recorded 45.7 mm rain between 8.30am and 5.30pm, Colaba weather observatory, representative of south Mumbai, recorded 20.6mm rain during the same time. Maximum wind speed recorded at the Colaba weather station was 46kmph, the weather bureau said.

Between 6am and 6pm Friday, the India Meteorological Department’s automatic weather stations showed maximum rain across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region at Dahisar at 103mm followed by Lokhandwala at 95.4 mm, Malad 95 mm, Navi Mumbai 83.4 mm, Bandra 79mm, Goregaon 75.5 mm, Bhandup 71.2mm, Worli 59.8 mm, Thane 49.8mm, and Dadar 42mm.

On Friday, the IMD issued an impact based forecast for the Mumbai region for overnight rain and through the day on Saturday for the orange alert. It warned of waterlogging at low-lying areas, short term disruption to municipal services (water, electricity, etc.), disruption of traffic flow, local trains affected, danger to very old buildings and unmaintained structures, falling of trees, and the possibility of local landslides in elevated hilly areas.

AUGUST RAIN OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS (in mm)

• 2020 - 990.5 (till 5.30 pm August 21)

• 2019 - 586.4

• 2018 - 235.2

• 2017 - 950.3

• 2016 - 561.7

• 2015 - 153.9

• 2014 - 458

• 2013 - 256.3

• 2012 - 377.1

• 2011 - 855.2

• 2010 - 1036.5 (highest for the decade)

• 1958 - 1254 (all-time high)