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With heavy rains sweeping swathes of Mumbai city and its suburbs since June 24, data furnished by India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed that the city received 90 per cent of the total quantum of June’s average monthly rainfall within just five days.
This year, owing to cyclone Biparjoy, the onset of monsoon in Mumbai was delayed by two weeks.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, the average rain in June stands at 537.1 mm as per IMD Santacruz observatory. Between June 24 and 29, IMD’s Santacruz observatory recorded 485 mm rain, which is around 90.31%, of the total average recorded in June. Meanwhile, the total rainfall recorded between June 1 and 29 was 502.9 mm.
Furthermore, weather bureau reports show that IMD’s coastal observatory in Colaba recorded 395 mm rain between June 1 and 29, of which 371.4 mm was recorded between June 24 and 29.
While the city witnessed moderate rains throughout Thursday, amidst a yellow alert issued by IMD, incessant rains battered Mumbai on Wednesday with the Santacruz observatory recording 122 mm rain and the coastal Colaba observatory recording 148 mm rain.
Furthermore, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) rainfall monitoring system recorded 127 mm rain in eastern suburbs, followed by 123 mm rain in western suburbs, and 93 mm rain in the island city between June 28 and 29 until 8 am.
Also, on Thursday, the civic body’s monitoring system recorded 6 mm rain in the island city, 7.88 mm in eastern suburbs and 12 mm in western suburbs.
With the city receiving a major quantum of the monthly average quote within the past five days, lake water levels have also been recharged. BMC reports released on Thursday showed that Mumbai’s water stock level in all seven lakes rose to 8.94 per cent, which until Wednesday stood at 7.26 per cent.
Weather experts have attributed the heavy downpour to development of two weather systems which include off-shore trough and cyclonic circulation.
Mahesh Palawat, a weather expert and meteorologist from Skymet Weather Services, said, “Monsoons are activated over the west coast of the country and the trough is extending from north Maharashtra coast to Kerala coast. Moreover, a cyclonic circulation is seen over north east Arabian Sea, near Gujarat coast which is between 3.1 and 5.4 km about the mean sea levels. Because of these systems, there has been heavy downpour over south Gujarat as well as coastal areas of Maharashtra and Karnataka.”
“This type of weather activity may continue for another 48 hours, thereafter it may subside”, added Palawat.
The rain took a toll on the city’s infrastructure with several pockets of the city facing water logging. The road beneath the Magathane metro station caved in after a landslide at the site which wrecked drainage lines. Meanwhile, according to BMC officials, around two houses faced structural damage owing to partial collapses on Thursday.
IMD has issued a yellow alert for Mumbai and Thane which is slated to be in place for Friday (June 30).
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