Mumbai wakes up to downpour

Mumbai received continuous showers with spells of intermittent intense rainfall on Friday

After two days of light to moderate rain, Mumbai received continuous showers with spells of intermittent intense rainfall on Friday. The city and its suburbs woke up to thick cloud cover and active monsoon conditions from 6 am amid forecast for light to moderate rain.

People caught in the rains in Bandra, Mumbai on August 20. (Satish Bate/HT Photo)

From 8.30 am Thursday to 8.30 am Friday, the Santacruz weather station recorded 31.6 mm rain while Colaba 63.2mm, both under the moderate category. South Mumbai received heavier rain (55mm) between 5.30 am and 8.30 am, followed by light continuous showers post 8.39 am. During the same time, the suburbs recorded 10 mm rainfall.

Dahisar at 128.5 mm recorded the highest rainfall across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The meteorological department said moderate rain to heavy rainfall was expected throughout Friday and its intensity may increase further over the weekend with a yellow alert (heavy rain warning) in place.

“A well-marked low-pressure weather system has begun moving from interior Odisha adjoining Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand westwards over parts of central India activating weather systems over the Arabian Sea. This has strengthened the south-westerly monsoon flow enhancing rain activity over the Konkan coast, including Mumbai, and parts of interior Maharashtra,” said K S Hosalikar, deputy director general, western region, India Meteorological Department.

Mumbai has recorded 944.8 mm rain between August 1 and 21, which is 404 mm more than the average rainfall for the month (540.8 mm). So far this season (June 1 to August 21), Mumbai suburbs recorded 64% excess rain against the normal quantum of rain for the period while south Mumbai recorded 63%.