A Mumbai rain alert is in place as the city, Thane and Palghar are expected to receive one or two spells of rain and thundershowers from Thursday, October 29, following the landfall of Cyclone Arnab on the Andhra Pradesh coast. The India Meteorological Department has not issued a warning for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, but has placed Raigad and Ratnagiri under a yellow alert.
The forecast comes after Mumbai recorded maximum temperatures of 36-37 degrees Celsius, with the city experiencing some of its hottest October days in a decade on multiple occasions. The expected showers are likely to bring daytime temperatures down to about 33 degrees between Thursday and Saturday, October 31, according to the report.
The IMD has forecast partly cloudy skies and one or two spells of rain and thundershowers in Mumbai, Thane and Palghar. The post-monsoon spell is expected to be brief, with no further rain activity forecast after the next few days.
An IMD yellow alert indicates the possibility of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, light to moderate rainfall and gusty winds. Although no warning has been issued for Mumbai, the conditions could affect outdoor movement and local travel during intense spells, particularly in areas experiencing sudden thunderstorms.
Cyclone Arnab developed into a depression by October 24 and strengthened gradually before making landfall over the Andhra Pradesh coast early on October 28. The system brought heavy storms and gusty winds across parts of the eastern coast, while its broader circulation is expected to produce cloud cover and isolated rainfall over parts of western India.
Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather Services said the cyclone’s effects had largely remained concentrated over Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh after landfall. However, he said the system could bring clouding and isolated spells of rain to the periphery of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra, including Mumbai and other districts in the Konkan region, over the next couple of days.
The forecast rain may also temporarily improve Mumbai’s air quality by suppressing suspended pollutants. Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index touched 92 on Wednesday, while at least nine areas recorded AQI readings above 100, according to the report and Central Pollution Control Board data.
Bandra Kurla Complex recorded the city’s highest reported pollution level on Wednesday, with an AQI of 145. The expected improvement, if it occurs, is likely to be short-lived because the weather system is forecast to pass quickly and no continuing rain activity is expected after the current spell.
Residents in Mumbai, Thane and Palghar will therefore see a shift from intense October heat to partly cloudy conditions and isolated thunderstorms, while Raigad and Ratnagiri remain under the IMD’s yellow alert. The weather department’s current forecast covers the period through Saturday, October 31.
