Wettest July in 118 yrs for city; lake levels up to 86%

According to IMD officials, the city has already received 91.32% of the season’s rainfall average.

With 1,470.4mm of rainfall in the past month, Mumbai witnessed its wettest July in 118 years — rain records have been maintained since 1901. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded the unprecedented rainfall figures in July at the Santacruz weather station, which is representative of Mumbai. This July received 1.9mm more rain than the previous highest of 1,468.5mm in 2014.

Rain clouds at Marine Drive in Mumbai. (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

According to IMD officials, the city has already received 91.32% of the season’s rainfall average. From June 1, the Santacruz observatory has recorded 1,979.9mm rain, as against the average of 2,168mm the city receives between June and September.

Meanwhile, continuous rainfall in July has also increased the water level in the seven lakes that supply water to the city to 85.68% of their capacity, civic officials said. Last year, the lake levels were 83.30% on July 31, and in 2017, they were 86.44% on the same day.

The weather bureau attributed the strong presence of westerlies or upper air circulation over the north Konkan region, which includes Mumbai, to the heavy downpour in July. Anupam Kashyapi, head of weather, IMD Pune, said, “Maharashtra, specifically Madhya Maharashtra, including Pune and adjoining areas, experienced convergence of the Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon and the Bay of Bengal branch of the monsoon. The presence of the offshore trough also gave a big push for a downpour.”