Pune: Mumbai and its neighbouring regions have been lashed by heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a flash flood warning due to disruptions across parts of the state. According to IMD officials, the majority of the rainfall occurred overnight, raising concerns about flash floods in several areas.
The IMD has predicted a moderate to high risk of flash floods over various watersheds and neighbourhoods in the Konkan and Goa regions over the next 24 hours. Additionally, a moderate flash flood risk is anticipated in parts of south interior Karnataka and the Madhya Maharashtra sub-divisions during the same period. The IMD warned that surface runoff and inundation might occur in some fully saturated soils and low-lying areas due to continued rainfall until Tuesday. “Mumbai and its surrounding areas have received heavy to very heavy rainfall, with isolated instances of extremely heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours. This has led to significant waterlogging in many places, severely affecting railway services,” said an official from climate research and services at IMD in Pune. He added that radar animations indicated the movement of a very intense cloud patch over the city.
Several areas in Konkan and Madhya Maharashtra recorded heavy to extremely heavy rainfall during the 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on Monday. Dodamarg in Sindhudurg district recorded the highest rainfall at 310mm, followed by Mapusa in North Goa with 300mm. According to IMD data, Tala and Mhasla in Raigad district recorded 290mm and 270mm of rainfall, respectively. Mumbai’s Santacruz observatory logged 267.9mm of rainfall by Monday morning, marking the ninth-highest 24-hour July rainfall for the area since 1951.
Other notable rainfall recordings included 250mm each in Rameshwar (Sindhudurg) and Murud (Raigad), while Gaganbawada and Chandgad in Kolhapur received 190mm and 130mm, respectively. For perspective, the highest one-day July rainfall in Santacruz was 944.2mm recorded on July 27, 2005. The IMD has forecasted isolated very heavy rainfall in Konkan, Goa, and Madhya Maharashtra on July 9, 11, and 12. In response, the IMD issued an advisory for kharif sowing, urging farmers to make provisions for draining excess water from fields to prevent water stagnation in Maharashtra.
A scientist from the weather services at IMD-Pune noted that triple-digit rainfall had been recorded in many parts of the affected regions, with rainfall expected to increase in the interior regions over the next 2-3 days. The IMD’s flash flood warning and advisories highlight the need for robust disaster preparedness and responsive measures to handle extreme weather conditions effectively. Residents and farmers are advised to stay updated through official channels and take necessary precautions to ensure safety and mitigate damage.
