Rains make a comeback to Mumbai, give much-need relief from heat

According to India Meteorological Department, Santacruz received 59 mm of rainfall, while the Colaba observatory recorded 14 mm

Mumbai: Rains returned to Mumbai on Saturday after a break, giving much-needed respite from the sweltering heat in the metropolis, with the weather department forecasting more showers over the next few days.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Santacruz received 59 mm of rainfall, while the Colaba observatory recorded 14 mm. The Santacruz and Colaba observatories record rainfall for suburbs and the island city, respectively.

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Rising temperatures and humidity in the absence of rains had inconvenienced citizens over the past few days. Harnai in Ratnagiri and Dahanu in Palghar district recorded 116 mm and 143 mm of rainfall, respectively, in 24 hours till 8.30 am on August 24.

It also rained in parts of Marathwada in central Maharashtra. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar recorded 43 mm, while Nanded and Parbhani received 48 mm and 55 mm of rainfall, respectively.

Mumbai and its neighbouring Thane and Palghar districts and many other parts of Maharashtra are expected to receive heavy rainfall over the next four to five days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday.

The IMD also issued an orange alert for the Pune and Satara districts of western Maharashtra and Amravati, Bhandara, Chandrapur and Gondia districts of Vidarbha for Saturday. An orange alert warns of heavy rainfall exceeding 64.5 mm in 24 hours, potentially disrupting normal life and causing flooding in low-lying areas.

A yellow alert, predicting thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and light-to-moderate rainfall with gusty winds of 30-40 kmph speed, has been issued for Saturday in several districts barring a few in western Maharashtra and Marathwada.

The IMD has issued an orange alert for some districts of Konkan and western Maharashtra on August 25 and 26 as well. A low-pressure area over northern parts of West Bengal and adjoining areas of northeast Jharkhand and another over east central Arabian Sea off the Maharashtra coast will bring rain to most parts of Maharashtra in the next 48 hours, an IMD scientist had said earlier.