The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thundershowers in Mumbai and Thane until June 11. The weather agency has also warned of gusty winds and lightning in parts of Maharashtra over the coming days.
According to the latest IMD forecast issued on Monday, May 8, Mumbai and its suburbs are expected to experience intermittent rain activity, even as temperatures remain relatively high.
The city recorded a maximum temperature of 35.8 degrees Celsius in the island city and 35.3 degrees Celsius in the suburbs, while humidity levels hovered around 70 per cent, contributing to uncomfortable weather conditions.
The IMD has advised residents to remain prepared for thundershowers and changing weather patterns, with atmospheric conditions expected to stay unstable through the week.
Maharashtra Monsoon To See Slow Progress
Meanwhile, the weather department has indicated that Maharashtra is unlikely to witness widespread and satisfactory monsoon rainfall before June 15. Officials noted that rainfall activity across the state is expected to remain subdued, slowing the advancement of the southwest monsoon.
The Maharashtra Agriculture and Disaster Management Department stated that while the monsoon has entered the south Konkan region, bringing moderate to heavy rainfall to parts of Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts through June 9, overall rainfall across Maharashtra is likely to remain weak over the next week.
In view of the delayed and uneven rainfall, authorities have advised farmers not to rush into sowing operations until rainfall patterns become more consistent.
Yellow Alert In State:
Extending the weather alert, the IMD has also forecast thundershowers, lightning, and gusty winds across several districts in Maharashtra till June 11.
Districts including Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Parbhani, Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Amaravati, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Wardha, Yavatmal, and others have been placed under a yellow alert, with wind speeds expected to reach 40-50 kmph in isolated areas.
Maharashtra Monsoon Forecast:
In its broader regional outlook, the IMD said isolated to scattered rainfall activity is likely over Konkan between June 10 and June 13, while Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada are expected to receive rainfall between June 8 and June 13.
The weather department also warned of isolated thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph, across Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada during June 8-10.
Meanwhile, several parts of Maharashtra continued to reel under intense heat conditions. The gusty winds recorded in the last 24 hours is in Buldhana in Vidarbha at 50 kmph, Baramati in Pune district at 46 kmph, Shahada in Nandurbar at 44 kmph, and Kalwan in Nashik at 43 kmph.
In the Marathwada region, Ambejogai in Beed and Hingoli recorded temperatures of 44 kmph each, while Karjat in Raigad district in the Konkan region registered 41 kmph.
El Niño To Affect Rainfall:
Adding to concerns, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), supported by projections from the IMD, has indicated that India may experience below-normal monsoon rainfall this season. Rainfall is currently projected to be around 90% of the long-period average, the benchmark used to define a normal monsoon season.
Major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad could receive less rainfall than usual, while parts of northeastern India may be relatively less affected by the anticipated dry conditions.
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