Heavy Rains To Continue In Mumbai: Caution For Evening High Tide
Non-stop torrential rains have derailed the capital city, Mumbai. Low-lying areas have been inundated, and waterlogging has severely disrupted traffic movement across several regions. Streets and roads have forced people to wade through waist-deep waters at choke points. Arrivals and departures of flights have been delayed at Mumbai airport, creating a cascading effect on both incoming and outgoing flights. The heavy downpour has restricted rail, road, and air travel. Schools and colleges have been shut, and an advisory has been issued to facilitate work from home.
The city observatory at Santacruz recorded 238 mm of rainfall in 24 hours till 8:30 am. Heavy rains are continuing, and the city has already amassed 792.5 mm of rainfall against the monthly normal of 585.2 mm, with plenty more still in store for the city and suburbs.
Multiple factors have combined to trigger massive rains and chaos. A monsoon depression, which earlier formed over the Bay of Bengal, crossed the Odisha coast and moved inland. The peripherals of the system have extended into a convergence zone. Monsoon westerlies have strengthened along the Konkan coast, an east-west shear line is active near 20°N from the east to west coast, and the offshore trough from Konkan to Kerala has become active. These systems, pooling together, have resulted in widespread heavy to very heavy rains across the Western Ghats, with the Konkan coast bearing the brunt. Mumbai has been hit hard, battered by vigorous monsoon activity for the fourth straight day.
Heavy rains will continue to ravage the city today. The astronomical high tide, raising wave heights by 10–12 feet over and above the normal surge around 8:30 pm, will splash seawater across the coastline. It will also restrict drainage into the sea, causing backflow from the sea to the landmass. As it appears, the worst of the current spell is likely to end by late tonight. Though rains will continue, their intensity and spread will reduce, with major relief expected from tomorrow night onwards.
