Southwest monsoon to intensify in western India; IMD issues a red alert in Mumbai
NEW DELHI: The southwest monsoon is poised to intensify into a very active phase in southern and western India, after a weak spell, and deliver extremely heavy rainfall and waterlogging in Mumbai. The weather office has issued a ‘red alert’ for Mumbai, which could see up to 100 cm of rain in the next few days. The red alert advises people to take action, while the orange alert tells them to be prepared.
The red alert has been issued for August 3 for the island city, while the rest of the week has been flagged with an orange alert.
"Mumbai and Thane are likely to see enhanced rainfall activity over the next 24 hours, which could prolong up to August 6," said a senior official at the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Mumbai office. "It could lead to heavy waterlogging, especially in the low-lying areas." Total rainfall between 6.5 cm and 20 cm is expected each day.
A low-pressure area forming in the Bay of Bengal is bringing this bout of heavy rain to the financial capital, IMD's notice said.
The southwest monsoon has been in a strong phase over the Konkan region throughout July. Mumbai surpassed its July rainfall quota halfway through the month, after covering the city two weeks earlier than its usual date.
Orange alerts have also been issued for interior Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Kerala. The low-pressure area is also expected to bring heavy rain to Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh as well.
Total rainfall across India has dipped slightly below normal because the monsoon had weakened unexpectedly in July, when it was about 10% below normal. In Rajasthan and central India, farmers and traders were worried about oilseed and coarse grain crops. However, the weather office says the monsoon is getting recharged because several favourable meteorological factors had emerged.