Mumbai braces for more rain in next 3 days
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a "yellow" alert for Mumbai, forecasting moderate to heavy rainfall over the next three days. This comes just three days after the city received over 300mm of rainfall within six hours, bringing the city to a standstill due to extensive waterlogging. The IMD's forecast indicates a high possibility of heavy rainfall in isolated places within the city and suburbs.
Mumbai's heavy rainfall attributed to 'shear zone' pattern
The IMD predicts that the minimum temperature in Mumbai will be around 24 degrees Celsius on Thursday, with the maximum likely to reach 31 degrees Celsius. IMD scientist Naresh Kumar attributes Mumbai's heavy rainfall to a "shear zone" pattern formed on an upper level. He said, "The monsoon has been in a very active phase for the last few days. This means that the low-pressure zone is in the active zone, and the vertical extension is above the surface."
Heavy rainfall predicted in other parts
The IMD has also predicted heavy rainfall in other parts of India, including West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya. The weather office attributes this to the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) returning to neutral and the cooler phase known as La Nina expected to form in the second half of the monsoon season. This could lead to increased rainfall and distinct weather patterns, potentially resulting in floods.
Traffic disrupted, 50 flights cancelled due to Mumbai rains
On Monday, heavy rainfall caused flooding in low-lying areas of Mumbai, disrupted suburban trains, and forced the closure of schools and colleges. Waterlogging slowed traffic movement at several places such as south-bound elevated airport road, King Circle Matunga, Kurla depot, Dadar TT, Hindmata Junction, Ram Nagar Subway (Vakola) Andheri Sunway SV Road, and Sakkar Chowk-Wadala. More than 50 flights to and from Mumbai were cancelled due to the downpour.
