MUMBAI: The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) prediction of a rain-soaked week played out dramatically just after midnight on Monday, when an intense three-hour spell of rain lashed Mumbai’s eastern suburbs, leading to the weather bureau to issue an orange alert at 1.05 am.The heaviest downpour was concentrated over the eastern suburbs, with automatic weather station (AWS) data showing Mulund (West) receiving over 200 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8 am on Monday. Almost the entire deluge, however, fell within a few hours between midnight and the early morning, overwhelming several low-lying pockets.The stark variation in rainfall was evident across the city. While the IMD’s Santacruz observatory recorded 104 mm of rain in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am, the Colaba observatory in south Mumbai logged just 30.4 mm. Localities such as Byculla (43 mm) and Malabar Hill (45 mm) also received less than 50 mm of rainfall.Neighbouring regions bore the brunt as well, with Thane recording 117 mm and Navi Mumbai averaging 118 mm during the same period.The overnight downpour led to waterlogging in some low-lying areas, including the Andheri East-West subway, which was temporarily shut to traffic. However, by the start of the morning rush hour, civic agencies had cleared most water logged stretches, allowing road, school and office traffic to resume.Independent weather observer Athreya Shetty attributed the highly localised ‘cloudburst’ like rainfall to a rare confluence of weather systems. He said strengthening monsoon westerlies carried abundant moisture but failed to penetrate beyond Navi Mumbai, creating a convergence zone over Thane Creek and Navi Mumbai.“This triggered towering cumulonimbus clouds that remained virtually stationary because of weak steering winds, dumping 120-195 mm of rain in barely three hours over the eastern suburbs and Navi Mumbai. At Koparkhairane, rainfall intensity briefly touched 149 mm per hour, approaching cloudburst levels,” he said.The heavy rain kept emergency services busy through the night. The BMC reported 16 short-circuit incidents, including nine in the eastern suburbs, though no injuries were reported. Civic authorities also received 34 complaints of fallen trees and branches and three complaints of partial wall or house collapses. Relief work was initiated in all cases, with no casualties reported.Even as Mumbai received a major rain spell water stocks in the seven lakes supplying to Mumbai are yet to see a significant increase. The seven lakes supplying drinking water to Mumbai currently hold 1 lakh million litres, or just 6.93% of their total capacity of 14.47 lakh million litres. On the same date last year, lake storage stood at 5.71 lakh million litres, or 39.5% of capacity.Average rainfall recorded by IMD observatories for a 24 hour period ending 8.30 am on June 29:
- IMD Santacruz: 103 mm
- IMD Colaba: 30.4 mm
Total rainfall recorded by the automatic weather stations in the 24 hours ending 8 am (June 28-29)
- Versova: 167 mm
- Goregaon: 129 mm
- Sion:124 mm
- Marol: 122 mm
- Mulund, Veena Nagar: 210 mm
- Mulund, Gawanpada: 167 mm
- Byculla: 43 mm
- Malabar Hill: 45 mm
- Matunga: 61 mm
