On Wednesday morning, residents of Mumbai and nearby districts experienced heavy rainfall, despite earlier predictions indicating light showers. The city has now recorded substantial rainfall for eight consecutive days, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a yellow alert for Thursday, warning of potential “heavy rainfall in isolated areas and strong winds.” Following this, only light rain is anticipated for the upcoming weekend.
Between Tuesday and Wednesday, certain areas in Mumbai experienced significant rainfall, with the IMD’s Santacruz station reporting 125 mm. Initially, forecasts suggested a decrease in rainfall starting Wednesday; however, due to the unexpected intensity of the showers throughout the day, the IMD updated its alert from yellow to orange. During the time frame from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Santacruz recorded 32.4 mm of rain, while Navi Mumbai’s Belapur station noted 57 mm, and Digha reported 50 mm.
From July 1 to July 8, the total rainfall at Santacruz has surpassed 1,115.4 mm, representing almost 47 percent of the region’s average monsoon total, which typically approaches 2,400 mm from June to September. Additionally, the Colaba observatory has recorded 903 mm of rainfall to date.
The ongoing relentless rains are attributed to a combination of at least four weather systems that have remained stationary for an extended period. Bikram Singh shared insights with The Indian Express, explaining that an east-west shear zone at 21 degrees north creates a low-pressure area, contributing to the heavy rainfall. He also noted the presence of a circulation over Madhya Pradesh, a trough extending to North Maharashtra and North Konkan, in addition to a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal, which together have introduced substantial moisture, resulting in significant rainfall across the Konkan and Madhya Maharashtra regions.
The IMD predicts light rain for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and Raigad over the weekend.
Amidst the continuous downpour, several incidents of tree and building collapses were reported in Mumbai and its surrounding areas on Wednesday. A 50-year-old man, Aadesh Gaikar, was injured when a tree fell near the Andheri subway, a location notorious for flooding. He was subsequently transported to Cooper Hospital for treatment.
This week has already seen two fatalities due to fallen trees. On June 30, 11-year-old Vihan Srivastava lost his life when a peepal tree fell on his school van in Chembur. Additionally, on July 5, 63-year-old Yunush Kundawala was killed when a tree collapsed onto his shop in Bharat Nagar, BKC.
On Tuesday night, a building with one additional floor collapsed in Wadala’s Shanti Nagar, injuring three individuals: Khushbu Khan (27), Ashish Singh (40), and Sunil Yadav (30). Khushbu sustained minor head injuries, Ashish suffered injuries to his left hand, while Sunil incurred minor leg injuries.
