Not all cloudy weather signals rain, says IMD

Clouds hide the setting sun in Borivli on Thursday. Pic/Nimesh Dave

Mumbaikars on Thursday woke up to a cloudier sky than usual - a phenomenon that continued through the morning till early afternoon. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that this cloud cover is not indicative of any immediate rain activity in the state.

IMD noted that the sky over Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar was "cloudy and partly cloudy". It pointed out that a "nice cloud band" had formed across the state - but also observed that this may not result in any significant weather changes. "Mumbaikars can enjoy the possibility of temperatures lowering a little bit,"
IMD said.

Cloudy skies were noticed in Pune too. An IMD official said, "There is a North-South trough that is going from Madhya Maharashtra downwards to the south. The effect of this trough will not give any weather [rain], we will just get some cloudy features which are not going to make much of a difference to the prevailing weather." The trough is also said to be absorbing moisture from the Arabian Sea.

The official added that there aren't any weather changes expected for the next two to three days over Konkan, Marathawada or Madhya Maharashtra.

"The weather is expected to be dry. The cloudiness is temporary. It is just one large cloud band that is stretching. It is a high cloud, which may give a little bit of relief from the heat since it is covering the sun. However, not every cloud brings rainfall along with it."