Heavy rain likely in western Maharashtra, Konkan from today

After a drizzle in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday. (Photo by Amit Chakravarty)

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday warned of heavy rainfall at isolated places in western Maharashtra and Konkan region on Thursday and Friday due to a depression over Telangana, which is moving northwest and set to traverse the state.

Widespread heavy rainfall has been forecast over Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Sindhudurg, Dhule, Nashik, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Parbhani, Beed, Osmanabad, Nagpur and Wardha districts for Thursday and Friday.

The weather bureau has issued an orange alert for Mumbai, Thane and Raigad for Thursday with a forecast of thunderstorm, accompanied with lightning and gusty winds, and very heavy rainfall at isolated places. Red alert, with a forecast of extremely heavy rain at isolated places, has been issued for Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri.

Further, a yellow alert has been issued for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar on Friday. Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and gusty winds and heavy rain is expected at isolated places, said IMD.

“North Konkan, including Mumbai, Thane and Palghar, is very likely to receive heavy rainfall in coming 24 hours, along with thunderstorms,” said K S Hosalikar, Deputy Director General, IMD (Western Region).

Squally wind speed reaching 40 to 50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, is very likely to commence along and off Maharashtra and south Gujarat coasts from Thursday morning.

In a warning for fishermen, the IMD said: “Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea along and off Maharashtra and south Gujarat coasts and over east central and adjoining northeast the Arabian Sea from October 15 for the subsequent three days.”

Mumbai witnessed overcast conditions and light rain on Wednesday. In 24 hours ending at 8.30 am, the IMD’s Santacruz observatory recorded 2.2 mm of rainfall, while Colaba recorded 1.8 mm. On Tuesday, a low pressure system had formed in the Bay of Bengal, which strengthened into a depression, further intensified into a deep depression and then crossed over land near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh between 6.30 am and 7.30 am.

By evening, however, the system weakened into a depression and lay over Telangana. The depression later moved westwards with a speed of 20 kmph and lay centred over north interior Karnataka and adjoining areas of Maharashtra.

The IMD has suggested that the system is very likely to move west-northwest and weaken into a low pressure area. It is headed towards south Maharashtra, IMD officials said, adding that this low pressure system will re-emerge in the north Arabian Sea, adjoining south Gujarat on Friday.

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