Mumbai: 'Heavy spells will last for the next four to five days'

Mumbaikars enjoy the pleasant weather at Dadar beach on Sunday

The much-delayed monsoon, which was expected to arrive with a whimper, proved forecasters wrong by making a grand entry in Mumbai and adjoining areas, causing waterlogging in some spots.

Meteorologists say the heavy spells will last for the next four to five days.

The monsoon, which was delayed by over two weeks, was slated to reach the city by June 11. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) eventually predicted that it would arrive by June 25. Heavy rainfall lashed the city on Saturday amid an orange alert in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad.

Rain lashes motorists near Sena Bhavan in Dadar on Sunday. Pics/Ashish Raje

The IMD announced that the southwest monsoon advanced to Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra on Sunday. While Mumbai, Thane and Palghar were downgraded to yellow for Sunday and Monday, Raigad is in orange alert. Mumbai, Thane and Palghar will be put on orange alert on June 27 and 28.

Sushma Nair, a scientist with India Meteorological Department's (IMD) regional centre at Colaba, said, "There has been heavy to very heavy rainfall in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra as a result of the monsoon's advancement in these areas. The southwest monsoon covered the entire state on June 25 and is moving ahead. There is a formation of a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal which, as per our estimate, will move towards Odisha and Jharkhand in the next two days. An off-shore trough has formed between the Maharashtra and Karnataka coast. Cyclonic circulation at the mid-tropospheric level has formed in northeast Arabian Sea and adjoining Gujarat coast. The system will bring heavy to heavy rainfall in the next four to five days."

The IMD has issued a warning about heavy to very heavy rainfall for the next few days in the Konkan and ghat regions of Central Maharashtra.

A meteorologist from Skymet Weather, a private forecasting agency, said, "Mumbai, Colaba and Dahanu have recorded 176 mm, 86 mm and 65 mm of rainfall. A trough is extending from cyclonic circulation to coastal areas of the state. We expect showers with a few heavy spells to continue over Mumbai and adjoining areas during the next four to five days."

He added, "There will be a significant relief from sultry weather conditions. Temperatures will subside, leading to pleasant weather. However, severe waterlogging is expected in low-lying areas."

With the onset of the monsoon, the city got a little relief from the scorching sun. On Sunday, the Santacruz and Colaba observatories recorded maximum temperatures of 29 and 27.5 degrees Celsius, respectively.

176
Rainfall in mm city got on Sunday