The IMD has predicted intense spells across Mumbai today. (File)
Mumbai Rains, Weather Forecast Today Live News Updates: Isolated parts of Mumbai are likely to experience heavy rainfall in the next two hours, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Thursday. Despite the onset of the monsoon on June 14, the city is yet to receive widespread rainfall.
The IMD has called this a “soft onset” of monsoon, one without heavy rain over the region. The southwest monsoon onset marks the beginning of the four-month – June to September – monsoon season over India, which brings over 70 per cent of the country’s annual rainfall. The onset for India is announced when certain criteria is fulfilled anytime after May 10. If at least 60 per cent of the 14 designated meteorological stations in Kerala and Lakshadweep report at least 2.5 mm of rain for two consecutive days after May 10, along with a few other conditions relating to wind and temperature, the onset of monsoon is said to have taken place.
Last year, Mumbai had witnessed its most delayed onset in the last 45 years after the southwest monsoon was declared over the city on June 25. In 2018, the onset date was June 9 and June 12 in 2017. Thrice in the last 10 years — June 9 in 2018, June 7 in 2013 and June 5 in 2011 — monsoon had arrived in Mumbai before the IMD’s then onset date of June 10.
Last year, Mumbai had witnessed its most delayed onset in the last 45 years after the southwest monsoon was declared over the city on June 25.
Despite Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s instructions to banks to facilitate fresh farm credit including for farmers who haven’t been able to avail the Maha Vikas Aghadi government’s promised waiver of outstanding dues owing to pandemic-related delays, agriculturists across the state are experiencing difficulties in accessing fresh loans as sowing season kicks off. Simultaneously, notwithstanding the promise of a good monsoon, disbursal of agricultural credit in Maharashtra has taken off to a very slow start.
While the target for the agriculture sector fixed by the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) in its annual credit plan for 2020-21 is Rs 62,458.83 crore, banks have disbursed only Rs 7,799.14 crore until May end.
Slow disbursal, according to officials of the Cooperatives department, could continue for the remainder of the season, and banks are expected to once again fail to meet the farm credit target. For three consecutive years now, farm credit has not crossed 55 per cent of its target. Two loan waiver schemes have been implemented during this period. Read more
On June 14, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) declared the onset of the southwest monsoon over Mumbai. However, on Sunday – three days later – the city is yet to receive widespread rainfall. While some parts in western suburbs recorded short but intense spells of rain on Monday, on Tuesday, the city recorded 0.8 mm of rain, in the 12 hours ending at 5:30 pm. On Wednesday, trace rainfall (which cannot be measured by a rain gauge) was recorded.
The IMD has called this a “soft onset” of monsoon, one without heavy rain over the region. The southwest monsoon onset marks the beginning of the four-month – June to September – monsoon season over India, which brings over 70 per cent of the country’s annual rainfall. The onset for India is announced when certain criteria is fulfilled anytime after May 10. If at least 60 per cent of the 14 designated meteorological stations in Kerala and Lakshadweep report at least 2.5 mm of rain for two consecutive days after May 10, along with a few other conditions relating to wind and temperature, the onset of monsoon is said to have taken place.
The northward progression of monsoon, after reaching the Kerala coast, depends on many local factors, including the creation of low pressure areas, rainfall, wind speed and direction as well as type of cloud. The NLM is the north-most limit of monsoon up to which it has advanced on any given day. The onset in Maharashtra was declared based on the progression of the monsoon system and factors such as rainfall criteria and monsoon (westerly) winds at middle-troposphere level. The criteria is not as stringent as it is for Kerala. Read more
Isolated parts of Mumbai are likely to experience heavy rainfall in the next two hours, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Thursday. Despite the onset of the monsoon on June 14, the city is yet to receive widespread rainfall. Follow all the latest updates here.