August...

“The active wet spell for the Konkan coast, including Mumbai, commenced from Monday evening and is expected to continue till Thursday. Intense rain activity is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the formation of a low pressure weather system over Bay of Bengal on Tuesday. This will enhance rain bearing factors along the west coast strengthening westerly winds and allowing increased moisture incursions leading to extremely heavy showers,” said KS Hosalikar, deputy director general, western region, IMD. Maximum and minimum temperatures were close to the normal mark on Monday.

From June 1 to August 3 8.30 pm, Mumbai recorded 1,918.6 mm rain, which is 85% of its seasonal average rain (2,260.4mm). However, water stock across seven lakes supplying water to Mumbai was 34.7% of the required amount on Monday. It was 91.5% last year by August 3.

“Very heavy showers, ranging to the amount of 500mm or more, are expected over catchment areas between Wednesday and Thursday,” said professor Sridhar Balasubramanian, department of mechanical engineering and IDP Climate Studies, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-B), Bombay.

From Sunday evening itself, wind speed over the city picked up with 22-25kmph winds, according to IMD.

“The combination of factors, including a cyclonic circulation in the lower troposphere and a developing monsoon depression over the Bay of Bengal, is allowing the offshore trough to intensify and enhance south-westerly winds over the Mumbai region. The wind speed is likely to further increase to around 40kmph on Tuesday before decreasing from Tuesday night,” said Akshay Deoras, independent meteorologist and PHD researcher at the University of Reading, United Kingdom.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also issued a high alert warning for Mumbai on August 4 and 5, owing to IMD’S warning that parts of the island city and suburbs will experience heavy rainfall on these two days. BMC has urged Mumbaiites not to visit beaches or venture into areas if they are water logged.

In a media announcement made on Monday, BMC informed that all 24 disaster-control rooms at ward levels have been put on high alert, six regional offices of the Mumbai fire brigade are on standby and three units of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are also on standby for Mumbai. BMC has ensured all six pumping stations, and the 299 dewatering pumps set up temporarily across the city are functional.

The electric substations of BEST and Adani, etc, are also on high alert. Moreover, assistant commissioner of the L Ward in Kurla, with jurisdiction over areas adjoining the banks of Mithi river, is on alert to evacuate residents of these areas, in case the water levels of Mithi increase to dangerous levels. coordination between agencies and government machinery to tackle the outbreak and to control the death rate. “To stop the spread of Covid-19, coordination between the government machinery is crucial. With erecting quarantine facilities, tracing, testing and tracking should be done. The state machinery should work even harder to control the CFR,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pune district is expected to cross 1 lakh total confirmed cases by Tuesday as the tally on Monday stood at 96,669. As per the data, 43% or 41,664 of the total cases in the district are active cases. On Monday, Pune city reported 796 new infections and 40 deaths. Pune district reported 231 new cases and nine fatalities, while Pimpri-chinchwad reported 731 new infections and 13 deaths.

The infection in the rural and semi-urban areas of the state continued to spread at a brisk pace. With festivals, including Ganeshotsav, approaching, the state health department is anticipating a rise in the number of cases across rural areas.

On Monday, Nashik city reported 323 new infections, taking city’s tally to 10,559. Solapur district, another hotspot in the state, saw 202 new infections, taking tally to 4562. Kolhapur district recorded 395 new cases, taking its tally to 5,196. Sangli-miraj reported 365 new cases, pushing its tally to 1,881.

Aurangabad city reported 237 cases pushing its tally to 10,609. Nagpur city reported 176 new cases, which took the city’s tally to 3,850, while the district reported 108 new cases. Hingoli reported 100 cases, while Nanded district and Nanded city reported 123 and 103 new cases, respectively. Latur, Amravati city and Gondia reported 76, 63 and 61 new cases.