Mumbai: Monsoon retreat in city likely by early October

Monsoon in Mumbai is likely to retreat in the first week of October. However, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) conditions over northwest India have started becoming favourable for the retreat this year, with a presence of an anti-cyclonic flow and a drop in rainfall activity. But Colaba has not yet declared a monsoon retreat over Mumbai saying the retreat is likely to extend till the first week of October, similar to last year.

IMD official KS Hosalikar said, “Weather conditions have started becoming favourable for the withdrawal of monsoon from parts of north-west India and Kutch during the next two days. This is due to an anti-cyclonic flow over these areas at lower levels.”

“There is also the possibility of dry weather in west Rajasthan, Punjab, and adjacent areas of Haryana during the next five days,” added Hosalikar.

Explaining the annual monsoon retreat over the country and the factors that determine it, IMD Colaba official, Sushma Nair, said, “The retreat depends on well-established anti-cyclonic circulation, sufficient dryness in the weather, and a significant drop in rainfall activity. Once these factors are established in a particular region, we can safely declare the retreat of monsoon.”

According to the IMD, for India, the onset of monsoon is determined by the rainfall activity in Kerala at the beginning of monsoon, and the withdrawal is determined by the weather conditions in Rajasthan towards the end of monsoon.

“We are experiencing some withdrawal conditions in Rajasthan, however, there is still time, at least end of September or first week of October for the complete retreat of monsoon over Mumbai and nearby regions,” added the official.

On Monday, the minimum temperature recorded in Santacruz was 23.3 degrees Celsius and the maximum of 26.6 degrees Celsius. It recorded a relative humidity of 90 per cent. While Colaba witnessed a minimum temperature of 23.6 degrees Celsius and a maximum temperature of 30.2 degrees Celsius with a relative humidity of 96 per cent.

Meanwhile, according to the data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), Mumbai Monday recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 14, while other cities like Delhi, Pune, and Ahmedabad recorded an AQI of 68, 18, and 38 respectively.