24 September,2024 07:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Dipti Singh
The city is likely to witness frequent rain spells. File pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Rain is likely to make a comeback in the city and Mumbai Metropolitan Region, ending an almost two-week dry spell, meteorologists have predicted. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert (possibility of moderate rainfall) for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar for Tuesday and Wednesday and an orange alert (extremely bad weather is expected) for Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and other districts for Tuesday.
Sunil Kamble, director of IMD (Mumbai), stated that rain activity is expected to intensify due to a cyclonic circulation that has developed over the Bay of Bengal, which may result in renewed rainfall in Mumbai.
"Since Sunday, a cyclonic circulation has formed over the west-central Bay of Bengal, extending up to the mid-tropospheric level. This has caused winds to shift over Marathwada and the adjacent central Maharashtra region, creating a convergence zone. Currently, maximum temperatures in central Maharashtra and Marathwada are above normal," Kamble said.
He said, "As this is also the period for monsoon withdrawal in regions like Saurashtra and central India, thunderstorm activity is quite common. Several areas in Mumbai may experience intermittent intense rainfall during this period."
Meanwhile, Rajesh Kapadia of the private weather blog Vagaries of the Weather predicted an increase in rainfall starting Monday. "The monsoon is definitely picking up, and we can expect rainy days in Mumbai through Thursday, September 26. There will be frequent rain spells, some accompanied by thunderstorms, with cumulative rainfall between 100 mm to 150 mm over the next four days," he said.
He added, "For Pune, rain activity is expected to increase this week, with additional spells next week, potentially accumulating 50 to 70 mm of rainfall. Similarly, good rainfall is expected in central Maharashtra and the Marathwada region next week."
According to Skymet Weather, a private forecasting agency, "Two cyclonic circulations are currently present over the Bay of Bengal (BoB). One is over the Northwest and West-Central BoB, while the other is near the South Arakan Coast of Myanmar."
