MET officials say the build-up of a low-pressure area over u00a0Vidarbha is why we'll get rain for a couple of more days

Just when it looked that the monsoon was gone for good this year, it's back at least for a couple of days.

The ongoing rainfall in Maharashtra is the build-up of a low-pressure area over Vidarbha that is expected to move towards Madhya Pradesh in the coming days, though MET officials say that remnants of West Pacific cyclonic activity could also bring more rain to Maharashtra.

Yesterday, the city recorded 34 mm of rain in Colaba and 43.8 mm in Santacruz. "Remnants of cyclones currently affecting South East Asia can re-intensify over the Bay of Bengal and move inward causing more rain.
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The current low pressure region too was formed over the Bay and is now moving north, having caused rain in its wake in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh," said Mumbai MET department director K Satidevi.

Bring out the umbrellas: Tired of the heat, yesterday's rains was a pleasant surprise for Mumbaikars.

Foreign influence

Vietnam and Philippines were last week struck by Cyclone Ketsana that ravaged towns and villages.

The Philippines was again struck yesterday by Typhoon Parma. Meanwhile, parts of northern Maharashtra continued to receive heavy rain.

"We have sounded off the alert for 24 hours that heavy rainfall is expected to occur in parts of Goa and in Greater Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg," said Satidevi.

Domino Effect

In May, Cyclone Aila that caused damage in the Sunderbans, West Bengal resulted in a delay in monsoons this year.

In 2007, Cyclone Gonu that affected parts of Oman had delayed the onset of the monsoon.

205
The number of peopleu00a0 dead in Karnataka (168) and Andhra Pradesh (37) so far due to torrential rains and floods over the past three days

25
The number of people dead in Maharashtra. Solapur, Ratnagiri, Sangli and Sindhudurg districts have been affected by the floods.

How are cyclones named?