IMD alert for 48-hour heavy rain in Mumbai

The rain-bearing clouds are in no hurry to let up for an interlude. With the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting “heavy to very heavy rainfall” across the state’s shoreline areas for the next 48 hours, Mumbai can brace itself for a dank, soggy weekend.

Both Colaba and Santa Cruz observatories on Friday recorded rainfall of 37 mm and 24 mm respectively, which amounts to roughly 10 per cent of the total rainfall received till now. Since June 1, Colaba and Santa Cruz observatories have reported about 264 mm and 208 mm rainfall.

The disaster management cell of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also issued warnings of a high tide for the next 24 hours, the largest set to be the 3.81 m Saturday night.

Even though IMD weather experts confirmed that the rainfall deficiency continued to range between 20-59 per cent, Mumbai has been receiving sustained rainfall till now. Weather experts confirmed that two simultaneous cyclonic circulations have triggered continuous rainfall in many parts of the country, including the coastline of Maharashtra. In a span of 24 hours, around 22 trees collapsed in different parts of the city, adding to the more than 100 trees that had reportedly fallen since Sunday.

“The twin weather systems have resulted in the formation of a shear zone.

As a result, monsoon activity will increase substantially over parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha, and some interior areas of peninsular India,” an expert from the Skymet Weather laboratory said.

BMC officials said that the Colaba observatory had predicted thunderstorms and rainfall for the next 24 hours in Mumbai city and suburbs.

Following their previous prediction of scanty rainfall for Vidarbha and Marathwada region, IMD experts also added that apart from Konkan and Goa region, central Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha regions will have to wait until June 28 for wide spread showers. On the other hand, Konkan and Goa regions will receive heavy to very heavy showers till June 28, according to the weekly prediction of IMD.

However, weather experts also reiterated that for the country as a whole, cumulative rainfall during this year’s monsoon has so far been 18 per cent below the long period average.