Pre-monsoon showers are likely to intensify in the city as the 2017 monsoon draws closer, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday. Private forecaster Skymet Weather said rains will pick up pace from June 8, resulting in a prolonged wet spell which is likely to extend till June 13, and will also lead to the monsoon’s onset.
Over the past 24 hours, the Colaba Observatory has recorded 28 mm of rain, while the one at Santacruz recorded 12 mm. A fresh cyclonic circulation is likely to form over the northeast Arabian Sea near Mumbai.
K.S. Hosalikar, Deputy Director General (Western Region), IMD, said the southwest monsoon had advanced into the central Arabian Sea, remaining parts of coastal Karnakata, entire Goa, and parts of Konkan and interrior Karnataka. “Konkan will receive heavy rainfall over 72 hours commencing from June 10. Fishermen have also been advised against venturing out into the Arabian Sea during the next 24 hours,” Mr. Hosalikar said.
According to data released by Skymet Weather, Mumbai records 2,165 mm of rain in four months from June to September, accounting for 96 % of the annual rainfall of 2,258 mm. For Mumbai, July is the rainiest month with a monthly average of 800 mm of rainfall, followed by June and August at 523.1 mm and 529.7 mm, respectively.
P.C.S Rao, a scientist at IMD, Pune said, “Southeast monsoon has reached Vengurla on the Goa border. It arrives in Mumbai generally by June 10. Sometimes, the scheduled arrival is delayed by a couple of days. As per the current development, the monsoon would reach Mumbai by this weekend.”
The IMD on Tuesday upgraded its monsoon forecast for the country this year to 98% of the `Long Period Average’ from the earlier 96%.
