'It will continue to pour for the next 2 days'

  • 27/07/2008

  • Daily News Analysis (Mumbai)

Mumbaikars may wake up to another wet spell on Monday as the weather bureau has warned of very heavy showers in the next 48 hours. "Intermittent rain or thundershowers with possibility of heavy to very heavy rain in parts of city and suburbs is expected during next 48 hours,' K Sathidevi, deputy director of Regional Meteorological Centre said. A landslide at Kapaswadi in Kurla injured one Wasima Sheikh Hassan, who was taken to Sion Hospital. The civic authorities have asked people living in the affected area to move to safer places. Fourteen trees fell in the city because of rainfall. Waterlogging occurred at areas from Sardar Hotel to Jai Hind Talkies and at Hindmata. Rains coincided with high tide that lasted till 7 pm. The Tulsi lake is barely 0.69 m below the overflow mark after 84 mm rainfall it received. According to hydraulic engineer Madhukar Kamble, once Tulsi overflows, the water is moved to Vihar lake, and once Vihar overflows, the water is drained into Mithi river. It should be noted that oveflowing water from the lake floods Mithi river, which in turn affects the city. However, Kamble said the water level at Vihar was still four metre below the overflow mark. The low pressure area over Bay of Bengal and cyclonic circulation over Gujarat was leading to the heavy rains in the region, Sathidevi said. According to the forecast, rain or thundershowers are likely at a few places over central Maharashtra and Marathwada during the next 48 hours and increase thereafter. Monsoon has shifted southwards with its axis at mean sea level passing through North India and south-eastwards to east-central Bay of Bengal. The low pressure area over Arabian Sea has strengthened. An off-shore trough also extends from Konkan and Goa to Kerala coast. Under this scenario, widespread rainfall with heavy to very heavy showers is likely along the west coast during next 4-5 days, Sathidevi said. "Winds will be westerly to south-westerly wit the velocity around 45 to 50 kmph, temporarily reaching 55 kmph. Sea will be rough with south-westerly waves. Fishermen are advised not to sail during the next 24 hours,' she said. On Sunday, Colaba received 144.5 mm rainfall, while at Santa Cruz, it was recorded at 40.6 mm. The figures say that there has been substantial rainfall, which is way above normal since the onset of monsoon. Colaba has received a rainfall of 1,286.3 mm so far, while Santa Cruz has recorded 1,437.7 mm of rainfall since June 1. The rainfall is 104 mm and 153.1 mm above normal, respectively. However, the total rainfall was 85.5 mm below normal in Colaba and 1.6 mm below normal in Santa Cruz till three days back.