What happened to IMD's red alert on Friday? ask Mumbaikars

People enjoy high tides splashing on the sea front during rain showers in Mumbai. Pic/AFP

Scores of Mumbaikars who did not step out of their houses and even changed their travel plans following IMD's red alert on Friday were left red-faced. As the rain activities subsided on Friday, the weather bureau downgraded the rain alert from red to orange later during the day.

Twitteratis mocked the IMD's red alert warning in every possible way. Taking a dig at IMD a Twitterati posted: "Red Alert! This sure shot means no rains today :) IMD pe full bharosa hai. Another person Nirmal Bhambhani stated: that the forecast is unreliable. I gave my staff WFH (work from home) today but no rains."

"#MumbaiRains #RedAlert seriously? No rains at all in Mumbai!" tweeted one Bhargav Shukla.

Twitter user Kitu Talks tweeted: "Today doesn't seem to be any heavy rains so far in the suburbs. Didn't get the red alert thing for Mumbai??" Replying to Kitu talks one Manish Pal tweeted: "If IMD gives alert, that pretty much guarantees no rain on that day !!"

"Wondering how it almost always never rains during a red alert day in Mumbai?!" tweeted one Dr Bhavya Patwa.

On Thursday evening the IMD's Regional Meteorological Centre - Mumbai issued a red alert for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar for Friday, July 8. Meanwhile, a Red alert was issued for July 8 and July 9 in Pune, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Satara. While the red alert was later downgraded to an orange alert during the day for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar for other areas forecast remained the same.

Thursday when the city was under orange alert, Mumbai's Santacruz observatory recorded rainfall of 125 mm and the Colaba observatory recorded a rainfall of 110.6 mm during the same period. Whereas Friday despite the red alert warning Mumbai's Santacruz observatory recorded rainfall of 41.1 mm in the 24 hours ending 8.3o am on Friday and the Colaba observatory recorded a rainfall of 52.8 mm during the same period.
Overall the IMD Colaba and Santacruz observatories have reported 1006.0 mm and 1092.2 mm of rainfall since June 1.

As per the latest district rainfall forecast issued by the IMD on Friday evening, an orange alert has been sounded for Mumbai, Thane and Raigad from July 9 to July 12.

The IMD has now predicted Moderate to heavy rainfall in suburbs, while very heavy rainfall in isolated areas in the city and adjoining areas for the next 24 to 48 hours.