Mumbai: As per the statistics received from the Disaster Management Cell of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the city has received only six per cent rainfall until June 20, as against 19 per cent in the city and 16 per cent in the suburbs last year during the corresponding period.
However, weather experts are optimistic that the city may receive good rainfall in the next two to three days as the south-west monsoon has arrived over Konkan and adjoining parts of Maharashtra. Weather experts and officials from the Indian Meteorological Department said the intensity of rainfall has decreased due to Cyclone Vayu.
“The intensity of rainfall ought to have increased by now, but since the monsoon arrived late in Kerala and Cyclone Vayu swept away the monsoon clouds, we are not getting sustained rainfall,’’ said an official. Last year until now the city had received 432.33 mm rainfall, while suburbs had received 406.9 mm; this year, until now, there has been a measly 127 mm rainfall in city and 163.3 mm in suburbs.
In actual terms, every year by June the city has recorded at least 20 per cent of the rainfall, but this year only six per cent has been recorded, which means it is 14 per cent less than that compared to last year. Whether there will be good rainfall this season can be said with some degree of certainty after witnessing the showers in the coming weeks, the IMD official added.
According to Skymet, as climatic activity enhances over the north coast, rainfall will also increase over Mumbai and its surrounding areas. It is of utmost importance that water in the catchment areas and lakes is replenished if a crisis is not to visit the city shortly. From June 27 onwards, moderate to heavy spells of rain are expected and this would possibly be the official onset of monsoon in Mumbai. K S Hosalikar, deputy director general, IMD, said in two to three days, owing to no
