You can count on another round of wet weather in Mumbai as the first low of the season over the Bay of Bengal does its thing. The IMD is calling for heavy to extremely heavy rain in the city, the Konkan and the Western Ghats. An Orange alert is still up for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad.
What the new system means for Maharashtra
We have a low-pressure area that has put down roots over the northwest Bay of Bengal and the coasts of north Odisha and West Bengal, the IMD says. There’s a cyclonic circulation with it, reaching 7.6km up, and it should make itself more of an issue in the next couple of days or so.
In the words of S D Sanap from the IMD, the westerly winds this kind of monsoon low puts in motion are the ‘primary reason’ we’re seeing the kind of deluge they are forecasting for the Ghats. It’s the wind driving the rain.
Mumbai sees fresh disruption
Thursday was no different after a day of non-stop rain; some of Mumbai was left with water on the streets once again. At Dadar, for instance, the tracks were under water and you could see it slowing down the suburban trains in the affected areas.
Over in Konkan, the rain didn’t let up for the last 24 hours. Wada in Palghar put down 23 cm, which tells you how hard it is coming down along the coast while the monsoon is in full swing.
Alerts across Konkan and the Ghats
IMD Mumbai has upped the ante with its advisories for the near future. As the system develops, a red warning is in place for some of the most extreme rain in Konkan and the ghats of Madhya Maharashtra.
They are being specific with the hill belts. The Pune ghats are on a red alert until July 5, and for Satara it’s red from the 4th to the 6th. Kolhapur’s ghats have an orange warning for the time being.
The nowcast put out at 7 am on Thursday for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad had a three-hour window of moderate to intense rain in odd places. It was a nudge to be careful while the monsoon is active.
Impact on services and local measures
Palghar authorities have called it a day for all schools and colleges on Thursday. With the kind of rain we’ve had since midweek and more in the offing, it was a no-brainer.
Don’t expect it to let up any time soon. The IMD is firm that very heavy to extremely heavy rain will be with us in Mumbai and Konkan for some time, in spots at least.
Pune forecast and rain numbers
If you are in Pune, the IMD is predicting mostly cloud cover and some light to moderate rain for the next few days. But in the ghat country, you can look for some really heavy stuff between July 3 and 6.
The numbers from Thursday show it was a bit of a hit-and-miss affair. Chinchwad had 9.5mm, Shivajinagar 7, Lohegaon 4.6 and NDA 3, from 8.30am to 8.30pm. Lavale and Koregaon Park only saw 0.5 mm. Magarpatta got nothing at all.
Why this matters now
As long as the Bay of Bengal system is in play, the monsoon isn’t going to mellow out over west India. That means a higher chance of the usual problems: some localised flooding, traffic and train delays in the lower-lying bits of the city and beyond.
Here is what the IMD and the rest are telling residents and those on the move:
– Intense spells are to be expected
– Steer clear of the underpasses and where the water has pooled
– Keep an eye on the district and school notices
What to watch over the next 72 hours
The low is here to stay and will only get stronger, so the monsoon is going to be in your face. In coastal Maharashtra and the Ghats, it is the short, hard downpours you have to be on for – the kind that can back up a drain or a slope in no time.
They will be on top of the catchments in Konkan and the Ghats, where the red warnings are. If you are travelling, build in some extra time, check on the transport situation and don’t miss the nowcast if things change in a hurry.
