Mumbai cools down with return of rain

MUMBAI: Rains made a return to Mumbai on Saturday, providing much-needed relief from the recent sweltering heat. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted continued showers over the coming days.

The Santacruz observatory recorded 59 mm of rainfall, while the Colaba observatory logged 14 mm. These observatories monitor rainfall for the suburbs and the island city, respectively. Rising temperatures and humidity had inconvenienced citizens in the absence of rain over the past few days.

In the broader region, Harnai in Ratnagiri and Dahanu in Palghar district received 116 mm and 143 mm of rainfall, respectively, in the 24 hours until 8:30 am on August 24. Rain also affected parts of Marathwada in central Maharashtra, with Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar receiving 43 mm, and Nanded and Parbhani recording 48 mm and 55 mm of rainfall, respectively.

The IMD has forecasted heavy rainfall for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and other parts of Maharashtra over the next four to five days. An orange alert has been issued for Pune and Satara districts in western Maharashtra, as well as Amravati, Bhandara, Chandrapur, and Gondia districts in Vidarbha for Saturday. This alert warns of heavy rainfall exceeding 64.5 mm in 24 hours, which could disrupt normal life and cause flooding in low-lying areas.

Additionally, a yellow alert has been issued for several districts, excluding some in western Maharashtra and Marathwada, predicting thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, light-to-moderate rainfall, and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph.

The IMD also issued an orange alert for certain districts in Konkan and western Maharashtra on August 25 and 26. The forecast indicates that a low-pressure area over northern West Bengal and adjoining areas of northeast Jharkhand, along with another over the east-central Arabian Sea off the Maharashtra coast, will bring rain to most parts of Maharashtra in the next 48 hours, according to an IMD scientist.

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