Mumbai monsoon has begun: IMD

Since the onset is within the range of three days of June 11, it will be classified as the normal onset for Mumbai.

NEWDELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday declared the onset of the southwest monsoon over Mumbai and the remaining parts of Maharashtra. The monsoon arrived three days late from its normal onset date of June 11.

Last year, Mumbai witnessed its most delayed onset in the last 45 years after the southwest monsoon was declared over the city on June 25. In 2018, it was June 9 and June 12 in 2017.

“Monsoon onset has been declared over Mumbai and remaining parts of Maharashtra on Sunday afternoon. Since the onset is within the range of three days of June 11, it will be classified as the normal onset for Mumbai,” Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, IMD’S director-general, said.

The weather bureau said that the northern limit of the monsoon passes from Surat covering portions of south Gujarat.

An orange alert for heavy to very heavy rain has been predicted for Monday and Tuesday by the weather bureau for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and remaining districts of the west coast, parts of central Maharashtra, isolated areas of Vidarbha and

MRUTYUNJAY MOHAPATRA, IMD’S director-general

Marathwada.

Between 8.30am on Saturday and 8.30am on Sunday, the subu r b s a n d s o u t h Mumbai recorded 19.7mm and 11.2mm rain.

IMD classifies heavy rain between 64.5mm to 124.4mm, while moderate rainfalls in the range of 7.6mm to 35.5mm.

Moderate showers were recorded in parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region such as Thane, Bhiwandi, Dombivli, Badlapur and Panvel over the past 24 hours.

The first two weeks of June saw the city cover 42% of the monthly rain comprising premonsoon showers.

From June 1 to June 14, Mumbai recorded 208.5mm rain. The average rainfall for the month of June is 493.1 mm.

In 2019, the onset of monsoon over Mumbai happened on June 25, while in 2018, it was o June 9.