The India Meteorological Department IMD forecasts a wet week for Mumbai with pre-monsoon showers expected to hit the city in the next 48 hours. Monsoon is expected to hit Maharashtra by 11 June, as per IMD-s prediction
Pictures/Satej Shinde
A week after Cyclone Nisarga gave Mumbai its first rain showers, the city has been receiving pre-monsoon showers for some time now. The India Meteorological Department IMD has predicted a wet week for Mumbai, with cloudy weather and likeliness of light rains and thundershowers accompanied by lightning and gusty winds with speed reaching 30-40 kmph at isolated places in the next 48 hours.
ADVERTISEMENT
Dark clouds hover over FM Cariappa flyover in Borivli.
According to IMD, on Wednesday the forecast will be generally cloudy skies in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts with the chances of light to moderate rains to thundershowers in different parts of the region for the next 48 hours.
People wait for their buses to reach their respective workplaces outside Thakur Complexafter it rained in Kandivli.
The Santacruz observatory of the weather department has recorded a maximum temperature of 33.2 degree Celsius and a minimum temperature of 26.8 degrees Celsius. On the other hand, the Colaba Observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 33 degrees Celsius and a minimum temperature of 27.5 degree Celsius.
Monsoon in Mumbai
People put tarpaulin sheet on the roof of their houses to protect themselves from the rains at LBS road near Shital cinema in Kurla West. Picture/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
With the monsoon advancing to most parts of the country, the weather department said that conditions are likely to become favorable subsequently for ‘further advance of Southwest monsoon’ into parts of the Konkan region in the next 48 hours. It can be understood from the prediction that monsoons are likely to reach Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg by Wednesday. As Mumbai belongs to the north Konkan region, the predictions by the IMD indicate that the monsoon will arrive in the city by June 11.
Fancy umbrellas displayed for sale on a street in Mumbai. Picture/Atul Kamble
The IMD has also predicted a likeliness of heavy to very heavy rainfall over the western coast of India from June 10 to June 14, due to the -strengthening of the south-westerly wind’.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority MMRDA has set up an Emergency Control Room for monsoon which will monitor complaints, interact with various Disaster Control Agencies such as State Government, MCGM, Police, etc. and exchange the information and data. Read full story
Damage by Cyclone Nisarga
Though Mumbai escaped the wrath of Cyclone Nisarga, the cyclone led to severe rainfall as weather department’s Colaba station recorded 50 mm rainfall, while the Santacruz station registered 47 mm rainfall, with instances of waterlogging reported in several low-lying areas in the city. People staying at the coastal areas and the low-lying areas were evacuated by the police to safe places. The teams of National Disaster Relief Force NDRF were deployed in the different coastal areas of the Mumbai Metropolitan Regions and the Mumbai Police had imposed Section 144 in the city for 48 hours, banning people from venturing into beaches and other coastal areas.
Cops patrol on the promenade at Marine Drive. Picture/Bipin Kokate
After the cyclone subsided, the evacuees returned to their homes after undergoing the health test mandated by the authorities as the city is a COVID-19 hotspot. Although the city was largely spared, the cyclone left a trail of destruction in Raigad, where it made landfall with an intensity of severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 100-110 kmph peaking at 120 kmph.
Many trees were uprooted and roofs were blown off houses amid reports of crops being damaged in Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts before it weakened. Damaged to electricity and telephone poles were also reported that led to the district plunging into darkness and the telephone connectivity taking a hit.
According to the statement then issued by the Maharashtra government, the cyclone claimed six lives and left 16 people injured.
Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.
Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel @middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news