IMD issues orange alert: Very heavy rain forecast for Friday, Saturday

The weather bureau has predicted widespread heavy to very heavy rain for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) this week.

The weather bureau has predicted widespread heavy to very heavy rain for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) this week.

HT Image

On Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert (very heavy rain warning) for Mumbai for Friday and Saturday, and yellow alert (heavy rain) across isolated areas for Thursday.

IMD had earlier predicted a yellow alert for Wednesday, but south Mumbai and the suburbs recorded 0.2mm and 0.1mm rain between 8.30am and 8.30pm, respectively. However, there was a slight increase in rainfall across the city after 8.30pm.

“Rain over the west coast, including Mumbai region, is expected to increase with isolated heavy to very heavy rain between July 3 and 5 under the influence of high convergence of strong westerly to southwesterly winds at lower tropospheric levels from the Arabian Sea, which will intensify monsoon currents leading to widespread rainfall. A cyclonic circulation lies over south Gujarat and neighbourhood in lower and mid tropospheric level that will further enhance rainfall for parts of north Konkan, including Mumbai,” said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director-general, IMD.

Between 8.30am Tuesday and 8.30am Wednesday, Santacruz weather observatory, representative of the suburbs and Mumbai, recorded 9.4mm rain while 6mm was recorded at Colaba (representative of south Mumbai). HT had, on Wednesday, reported that the city witnessed its lowest June rain in five years.

Meanwhile, the city and suburbs recorded the day and night temperature close to the normal mark while moisture levels were high at 89% humidity in south Mumbai and 79% in the suburbs during the day, which fell to 81% and 65% by the evening in south Mumbai and suburbs, respectively.

IMD has also predicted an orange alert for Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg between Thursday and Saturday, and a similar warning for Palghar for the weekend.

The city and suburbs can expect cloud cover with the possibility of moderate rain through the day and heavy showers at isolated areas, the forecast said.