MUMBAI: It's the weekend but citizens may want to stay indoors as the
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall in the city. Coming this weekend are also two of the biggest high tides of this season.
The IMD has issued a heavy rainfall warning for Saturday with very heavy showers in some areas of Palghar, Thane, Mumbai and Raigad. On Sunday too, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at some places in Mumbai.
The weekend high tides are highest this season-4.97m at 1.49pm on Sunday and 4.96m at 1.02pm on Saturday. As heavy rainfall coupled with a
high tide is known to cause flooding in the city, BMC has put its officials on alert. During a high tide, the BMC closes flood gates to prevent seawater from entering the city but that also means there is no way out for the rainwater.
On Friday, in the 12 hours ending 8.30pm, IMD's
Colaba observatory recorded 3mm rainfall while IMD's Santacruz observatory received 12.2mm. Residents said that ever since the onset of monsoon on June 9, heavy rainfall has lashed the city almost every weekend. "While this is a dampener for many who have planned weekend outings as heavy rain makes travelling difficult, it spares Mumbaikars of chaos that follows heavy rainfall," said Mulund resident Mithali Dholas.
Mumbai has already recorded the required average rainfall for July. The rainfall received so far is also in excess as IMD
Colaba has received 511mm above normal and IMD Santacruz 793mm above normal.
Ajay Kumar from IMD Mumbai said, "A circulation in the low pressure area along the north-west Bay of Bengal, a cyclonic circulation over north Chhattisgarh and another circulation over south Gujarat are causing the showers," he said.
A 4.85 high tide brought a tide of garbage at Marine Drive on Friday.
