Mumbai Weather Update: Monsoon Withdrawal Delayed Due To Unexpected Rainfall; IMD Issues Yellow Alerts For Multiple Districts

Mumbai: Following an unexpected resurgence of rainfall beginning Wednesday, the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon in Mumbai is now anticipated to be delayed until next week. Typically, the monsoon is expected to have retreated by October 10, but a low-pressure system forming in the Arabian Sea has impeded this process and is expected to keep the city wet for an additional two to three days.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued yellow alerts for the districts of Palghar, Thane, Dhule, and Nashik, while other regions remain under a green alert, indicating varying levels of weather caution. From 8:00 AM on October 12 to 8:00 AM on October 13, the rainfall measurements were recorded as

- Mumbai City: 0.22 mm

- Eastern Suburbs: 0.03 mm

- Western Suburbs: 0.20 mm

At 8:30 PM IST on October 13, thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and moderate rains were reported in isolated areas of Palghar and Mumbai, with wind gusts reaching 30-40 km/h.

Earlier in the day, around 3:30 PM IST, similar weather conditions were observed across several districts, including Thane, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Beed, Latur, Parbhani, Ahmednagar, and Mumbai.

Looking ahead, the forecast suggests a partly cloudy sky with potential for rain and thunderstorms in the evening and nighttime hours. Expected maximum and minimum temperatures are around 34°C and 26°C, respectively.

The past four days have brought moderate to heavy downpours, primarily during the night. Some locations reported more than 60 mm of rain in just an hour on Thursday night. Meteorologists attribute this renewed rainfall to a low-pressure area developing over the Arabian Sea.

While the rain has provided relief from elevated air pollution levels and high daytime temperatures, it has also interrupted the typical monsoon withdrawal schedule.

Sunil Kamble, Director of IMD Mumbai, explained, “Whenever a weather system brings consistent rainfall, the withdrawal of the monsoon often gets postponed. This is not uncommon; we have seen occurrences where the monsoon has lingered until October 20.”

Kamble projected that light to moderate showers would continue for another two to three days, with a decrease in intensity thereafter. He noted that the withdrawal line currently extends to the Nandurbar district and stated, “In the coming days, as rainfalls diminish, we will closely monitor conditions and then formally announce the withdrawal. The situation currently points to a likely withdrawal next week.”

Since the beginning of October, Mumbai has experienced significant rainfall, with the Santacruz station recording 68.4 mm and Colaba noting 63 mm. This marks a dramatic contrast to October 2023, which saw a mere 11 mm, making this month the wettest October since 2022 when a staggering 226 mm was recorded at Santacruz. Last year, the monsoon was deemed to have officially withdrawn by October 7, while in 2022, it lingered until October 23.