Mumbai: The monsoon, which made a disappearing act of sorts after its official arrival date on June 12, returned on Saturday to give the city its heaviest rains this season. The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Regional Meteorological Centre here said the rains which lashed the city through the intermittent night of Saturday and Sunday was due to a cyclonic circulation and an extended region of relatively low atmospheric pressure.
On Sunday, the BMC reported that between 8.30 a.m. and 3 p.m., the city and its suburbs received 109.41 mm or 4.30 inches of rainfall (see box). The last spell of heavy rainfall was recorded at 71 mm or 2.79 inches on June 12, the day the monsoon hit Mumbai.
Nitha T.S., Director, Regional Meteorological Centre, Mumbai attributed the gap in rainfall to the absence of supporting synoptic conditions, such as offshore troughs, low pressure areas and supplementary cyclonic circulation. She said these factors are usually part of an active monsoon condition over the western coast.
The presence of an offshore trough, which signals the formation of a low pressure area in a region, in the North Konkan region has led to wind convergence and increased the inclusion of moisture in the area, leading to rainfall, she added. This offshore trough has been present off the Maharashtra-Kerala coastline for a week, but feeble. Ms. Nitha said the cyclonic circulation over South Gujarat was formed in the past 24 hours. “The intensity of rainfall is likely to reduce but a good amount of activity will continue. The suburbs, east and west, have received comparatively higher level of rainfall than the city. Despite a reduction in intensity, this pattern is expected to continue.”
Man drowns in sea
A 22-year-old man drowned, while another went missing in the Arabian sea off Juhu Koliwada in Santacruz, the fire brigade said. The incident took place around 3.30 pm near New Jetty, when Abhishek Madab and Ankur Betkar, 17, had gone swimming. Locals saw them entering deep waterand raised an alarm. Lifeguards and a rescue team stationed at the at spot fished out Abhiskhek’s body.
Minor chaos
A good number of complaints were received by the BMC, mostly about water logging. The civic body reported that 48 trees fell during the rains: 10 in the city, 12 in the eastern suburbs and 26 in the western suburbs. It also reported 14 short circuits: seven each in the city and the western suburbs. A pump had to be installed at Nagar Das Road to clear water logging. Close to 25 complaints came in from Byculla about poor drainage. A BMC officer said complaints were most during the first half of Sunday.
Robin Jaisinghani, a Cuffe Parade resident, said the area was waterlogged due to Metro 3 work. “The authorities seemed to have blocked the old storm water drains, located outside my building, and have created a new line instead. They've gone wrong there, as even a little rain causes water to accumulate, something which hasn’t happened before,” he said.
The high tide level, reportedly, was 4.97m at 1.07 p.m., and is expected to be 14.94m at 1.54 p.m. on Monday. The eastern suburbs, which includes Bhandup, Gawanpada, Mulund, Powai, received an average of 154.93mm of rainfall. Rain was heaviest in Gawanpada at 250.43mm. The western suburbs, which include Borivali, Dindoshi, Goregaon, Malad and Marol received an average of 97.38mm. Prabhodhankar Thackeray Natya Mandir at Borivali recorded 143.00mm, the heaviest in the western suburbs.
While flights at Mumbai airport were unaffected, the suburban railways reported delays. The Central Railway reported water logging at Thane station. BMC chief officer, disaster control room, informed that despite of 50mm rainfall between 9.30 a.m. and 10.30 a.m., there was no major reports of flooding but just water logging.
