Mumbai weather update: Heavy rain, thundershowers forecast for this week

Girgaum lashed by heavy rain on Sunday. Pic/Anurag Kamble

Mumbaikars need to brace for more rain this week as private weather experts and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warn that the monsoon will begin its retreat starting today. Experts say Mumbai and various parts of Maharashtra are expected to experience thundershower activity in the coming week. The intensity of these thunderstorms is likely to increase, especially in the Raigad, Ratnagiri, Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune, and Madhya Maharashtra areas.

Athreya Shetty, a private weather observer, said, "From now onwards, evening withdrawal thundershowers will start increasing across Maharashtra for the next week." Shetty also highlighted the strong weather activity at the ghats, which could result in the formation of towering cumulonimbus (CB) clouds. He added, "Strong convergence at the ghats on these days will fuel the development of tall CB clouds and should readily drift towards the coast, including Mumbai, for at least a couple of days."

Intense but brief spells of rainfall are anticipated in Mumbai and its suburbs, with localised storms likely to impact certain areas. Shetty said on X, "A short period of intense/heavy downpours #MumbaiRains is possible, especially towards the interiors."

Rushikesh Agre, who operates the ‘Mumbai Rains' account on X, said, "The weather forecast shows the dominance of easterly winds, which will continue, and winds to converge in the ghats and interior MMR, along with weak westerlies, thus reducing wind speeds and raising the heat to over 35°C in the interiors." He further warned that Mumbai city and its suburbs would experience significant heat during the day. "This sudden heat will also increase the chances of rain in the evening hours, but the intensity of rainfall will be higher during the Tuesday to Thursday timeframe," Agre added.

Confirming this forecast, Sunil Kamble, Director of IMD Colaba, stated that the monsoon retreat is officially expected to affect Mumbai between October 8 and 11. "Officially, the monsoon retreat is set to hit Mumbai, bringing thundershowers during the afternoons and evenings. The retreat has already begun impacting Eastern Maharashtra," Kamble said.