Mumbai: Mumbai is all set to break the all-time record for ainfall recorded in 24 hours in December. The all-time high 24 hour rainfall recorded so far was 54mm in December 2017 and meteorologists have hinted that Wednesday's rainfall will surpass this mark.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has advised fishermen not to venture along and off the south Maharashtra-Goa coast.
Officials said that the unseasonal rains are expected to continue on Thursday and moderate showers will continue over the weekend.
Mumbai's Santacruz observatory had recorded 42mm rainfall in 12 hours ending at 8.30pm on Wednesday, while the Colaba observatory recorded 43 mm in the same period. This also led to a significant dip in the maximum temperature (by 9 per cent ) recorded in the city.
At 24.8 degrees Celsius, the city also recorded the second-lowest maximum temperatures for the month in a decade. Maximum temperatures dipped by almost nine degrees in the 24-hour period ending at 8.30pm on Wednesday, from 33.3 degrees C recorded on Tuesday to 24.8 degrees on Wednesday. The maximum temperatures recorded at Santacruz was also 8.6 degrees below normal.
In November, 30.1mm rain was recorded, the second-highest in a decade. The record for rain in November was in 2019, at 109.3mm, while all the other years, there has been less than 5mm of rain. 24.7mm of the 30.1mm rain recorded at the Santacruz observatory, was between November 21 and 22. This falls in the moderate rainfall category.(15.6mm to 64.4mm).
According to the IMD, the unseasonal weather is expected to continue on Thursday as well. ‘‘Yes, the rain will continue till the weekend; however, the intensity will decrease starting Thursday,’’ predicted Rajesh Kapadia, of Vagaries of Weather, a popular private weather blog.
Meanwhile, Shubhangi Bhute, scientist, IMD Mumbai, said, ‘‘The rain that that city is witnessing is owing to a cyclonic circulation over the south-east Arabian Sea and adjoining Lakshadweep area which now lies over south-east and adjoining east-central Arabian Sea. A warning for fishermen has also been issued as we expect rains/thunderstorms to continue for Palghar, Thane, Raigad and parts of Mumbai till Thursday.’’
‘‘At present, a western disturbance is lying as an upper air system in the mid and the higher tropospheric levels. This system is interacting with the cyclonic circulation, which is over the northeast Arabian Sea and adjoining the Gujarat region. Along with this, a low-pressure area is expected to form over the east-central Arabian Sea. A trough is also running along the Maharashtra coast in the lower levels,’’ stated experts from Skymet Weather, a private weather agency.
