16 October,2017 05:10 PM IST | Mumbai | Gaurav Sarkar
That's the forecast for city; IMD says 50-75% of Konkan belt will get 'scattered' rainfall
"Retreating monsoon wind symptoms", it seems, have brought some good news for state's beleaguered farmers. The Konkan belt of Maharashtra is expected to receive "scattered to fairly widespread" rainfall over the next 48 hours, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday, which will cover 50-75% of the entire region, which is "important to the farming community".
Lightning and thunder with light rain is expected to continue in the city for another day or two. File pic
Retreating monsoon
Mumbai, on the other hand, will have to brace for a noisy 48 hours - light rain and thunderstorms, likely to occur during the evening and at night. Krishnanand Hosalikar, deputy director general of IMD, said, "These are retreating monsoon wind symptoms." According to him, mid-October rain is not a new phenomenon. "If you look at the last five years' data, you will see that monsoon withdrawal has happened after October 15-16."
Good crop
He pointed out that this rainfall is important to the farming community across Maharashtra. "It helps farmers to get a good rabbi crop; hence, it's most welcome. Just that it is associated with lightning, thunderstorms, and gusty winds," he said. "After this spell, rain will only come next year; so, however much pours in these last few hours is a boon for farmers."
