CONTRARY TO ‘HEAVY SHOWERS’ FORECAST BY IMD, MUMBAI SEES SUNNY WEATHER

MUMBAI: Despite initial forecasts predicting very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall till Tuesday (June 15), Mumbai has seen relatively drier and even sunnier weather since Sunday.

The city received only 4mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period ending at 8.30am on Monday, and received no rainfall in the subsequent nine hours, as per data from the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) automatic weather station in Santacruz.

Officials confirmed on Monday that dry weather is likely to continue in Mumbai for at least another three to four days, along with a slight increase in both daytime maximum and nighttime minimum temperatures.

The daytime maximum temperature on Monday touched 33.6 degrees Celsius (a degree more than normal), up from 32.6 degrees Celsius recorded the day before. The minimum temperature was recorded at 27.4 degrees Celsius (also one degree above normal), up from Sunday’s 26.4 degrees Celsius.

As of 8.30am on Monday, the city has received 719mm of rain (as per the Santacruz weather station, which is representative of both Mumbai city and suburbs), which is 42% in excess of the normal rainfall for the month of June (505mm). This is also 422% in excess of the normal rainfall for the first two weeks of June, which stands at 137.8mm.

Mumbai has been placed by the weather bureau under a green category storm warning (light to moderate rains) till Wednesday, and a yellow category storm warning (heavy rain at isolated places) for Thursday and Friday.

However, independent meteorologists have warned that Mumbai is likely to see another spell of heavy rainfall between Thursday and Saturday, with another cyclonic circulation beginning to form in the north Arabian Sea.