The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Mumbai, Palghar, Thane and Raigad from Monday, July 12 to Thursday, July 15, indicating heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places for the four days. Further, it has sounded a red alert for Ratnagiri and adjoining areas yet again on Monday, followed by an orange alert from July 13 to July 15.
Further, the IMD has said that while isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over Maharashtra between July 9 and 13, extremely heavy rainfall is also likely over the ghat areas of central Maharashtra on July 12 and July 13.
“Under the influence of the formation of a low-pressure area over west-central & adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coasts, an east-west shear zone along 19 deg N and strengthening of westerlies, Maharashtra is very likely to experience an active rainfall spell during the week,” a bulletin issued by the IMD on Sunday stated.
For Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, a red alert was issued, with a forecast of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places for Sunday and an orange alert till Wednesday. The met department classifies rainfall above 204.5 mm in 24 hours as extremely heavy rain.
An orange alert, with a forecast of heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places has been issued for Pune, Kolhapur and Satara next week. An orange alert signifies that local and disaster management authorities should be on alert.
After poor rain activity in Mumbai on Friday morning, rainfall picked up by night. In the 24 hours ending at 8.30am on Sunday, the Santacruz and Colaba observatories recorded 17.1 mm and 38.0 mm of rain, respectively.
With the resumption of rainfall activity, the city also recorded a drop in temperatures. On Sunday, the minimum temperature recorded at the Santacruz observatory was 25.0° Celsius and the maximum temperature was two degrees below normal, at 28.8° Celsius. Whereas the Colaba observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 24.0° Celsius and the maximum temperature of 28.6° Celsius.
Expected Impact
(Source: IMD Bulletin on July 11)
• Localised inundation/flooding of low-lying areas and urban areas
• Possible uprooting of weak trees and collapse of old and unmaintained structures
• Landslide/Mudslides and Rockfalls in vulnerable areas
• Disruption to road, rail, air and ferry transport
• Local disruption of municipal services (water supply, electricity etc.)
• Flow of water over low-lying roads and small bridges
• Damage to crops due to water inundation
• Squally weather along and off the coast
• Rough sea conditions along the coast
Warning for fishermen
Warning for North Maharashtra coast: Squally weather with wind speeds reaching 35-45 kmph, gusting to 55 kmph likely to prevail along and off north Maharashtra Coast from July 11-15, 2021. Fishermen are advised not to venture along and off the North Maharashtra coast during this period.
Warning for south Maharashtra–Goa coast: Squally weather with wind speeds reaching 35-45 kmph, gusting to 55 kmph likely to prevail along and off south Maharashtra-Goa Coast from July 11-15, 2021. Fishermen are advised not to venture along and off the south Maharashtra coast during this period.
