MUMBAI: As another low pressure weather system is likely to build up in Bay of Bengal, withdrawal of the south-west monsoon over the city is expected to be further delayed. Indian Meteorological Department said withdrawal will not happen for at least another week.
Generally, the monsoon’s exit from extreme north of Maharashtra starts before October 5. By October 10, monsoon withdrawal covers most parts of Maharashtra, east MP, north Chhattisgarh, east UP, most parts of Bihar and Jharkhand, and parts of Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal, and by October 15, withdrawal covers most parts of the country, including Maharashtra.
This time, monsoon withdrawal has not even started in Maharashtra, with withdrawal in parts of Maharashtra likely to be stalled till October 15.
IMD director-general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, “Another low pressure weather system is likely to be formed in Bay of Bengal around October 19. We can’t yet confirm if the weather system will bring rain to the city. It will extend monsoon withdrawal over Mumbai and Maharashtra by at least a week.” The monsoon onset was declared on June 14, while the normal date for withdrawal would have been October 8.
On Friday, while a yellow alert (thunderstorm with lightning) was issued, Mumbai and areas nearby received brief showers in the afternoon. IMD’s Santacruz recorded traces of rain till 5.30pm, while Colaba received 0.8mm rain. A green alert (very light to light rain) has been set for until October 21.
Meanwhile, rain over the past few days brought down pollution levels in the city. After hovering between 80-120 in the last week, the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 42 (under 50 is considered good and does not pose any harm to human life), according to System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).
Many Mumbaikars took to social media to post pictures of bright, blue skies.