Mumbai: Mumbai’s unusual dry spell is expected to continue for the next week, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting a dry spell until at least Friday. As a result, the IMD has not issued any weather warnings for the city or its surrounding areas, indicating that the dry conditions will persist.
According to Sunil Kamble, Director of the IMD (Mumbai), “At present, we do not foresee any conducive weather patterns that would induce significant rainfall over the next five days. In fact, most districts in Maharashtra are currently on a ‘green warning’, indicating no precipitation is expected. For the next five days, we anticipate moderate and light rain showers. However, for the next four days, the city can expect only light to moderate rainfall. Looking ahead, we anticipate a system developing over Kerala after August 18 and 19.”
The IMD had previously predicted that August would experience heavier rainfall than July, but since the month’s inception, only light showers have been observed. “We initially forecasted above-normal rainfall for August and September combined, with September being the wettest month. We will be updating our forecasts accordingly,” Kamble added.
According to the IMD Regional Met Centre’s data, the Santacruz observatory recorded a paltry 2 mm of rainfall between Sunday and Monday morning, while Colaba received a slightly more substantial 3 mm of precipitation. In contrast, the eastern suburbs of Mumbai received the most significant rainfall, with a total of 8.92 mm, followed by the island city division, which saw 7.21 mm of rain, and the western suburbs, which received 4.17 mm of rain.
Mumbai’s monsoon season has been marked by an unusual pattern of rainfall, with the city recording 2,237 mm of rain since June. June and July saw a significant amount of precipitation, with nearly 2,053 mm falling during these two months. The Santacruz station, which is a key indicator of Mumbai’s weather, has recorded 184 mm of rain so far this month, a mere 30% of its average monthly total of 566.4 mm.
Interestingly, Mumbai’s rainfall pattern has been quite erratic this year. After experiencing a significant rain deficit of 35% in June, the city received above-average rainfall in July, with a surplus of nearly 50% compared to its monthly average. This unexpected surge in rainfall has had a positive impact on the city’s water supply, with the total stock in the seven lakes catering to Mumbai’s water demands reaching 92.55% of their total capacity on Monday morning.
Mumbai’s water storage has received a significant boost due to the recent rainfall, with several lakes reaching maximum capacity. According to the latest data, the water levels in the seven lakes that cater to Mumbai’s water demands are at a remarkable 92.55% of their total capacity. The Tansa Lake, one of the key lakes supplying water to Mumbai, stands out with its impressive 98.49% water level. Meanwhile, Modak-Sagar and Tulsi lakes are fully stocked at 100%, while Middle Vaitarna Lake has a 97.44% water level, Upper Vaitarna Lake has 86.70%, Bhatsa Lake has 90.18%, Vihar Lake has 100%, and Tulsi Lake has 100%.
The recent heavy rains have led to an unprecedented surge in water storage. One of the lakes, Middle Vaitarna, started overflowing on July 4, followed by Lakes Vihar and Modak Sagar on July 25. The Tansa Lake began to overflow on July 24, releasing a massive amount of water equivalent to 17 days’ worth of storage in a single day. This is a significant improvement over the same day last year, when the lakes were only at 83% capacity.
The Tansa Lake, situated in the Shahpur region of Thane, supplies approximately 400 million gallons of water to Mumbai. On July 26, it overflowed again, marking another instance of the lake’s excess water being stored in all seven reservoirs. Interestingly, Tulsi Lake also started overflowing on July 20, mirroring the same event that occurred on the same day last year at 1:28 pm. When fully operational, the seven lakes have a combined holding capacity of 14.47 lakh million liters. The recent uptick in rainfall has brought much-needed relief to the city’s residents, who have been struggling with a prolonged dry spell earlier this year.
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