Mumbai experienced a dramatic return of heavy rainfall over the weekend, as the city recorded nearly 100 mm of rain from Saturday to Sunday. This intense downpour, attributed to a deepening monsoon trough, has led to a significant uptick in the water levels of the seven key lakes that supply the city with its essential water resources.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Mumbai, valid until Monday morning, due to the ongoing heavy to very heavy rainfall expected to persist across isolated pockets in the city and its adjoining districts. The alert reflects the severity of the weather conditions, which have already caused substantial waterlogging in various low-lying areas of Mumbai.
On Saturday, the city was subjected to relentless rain, which saw the IMD’s Santacruz observatory recording 97 mm, while Colaba registered 57 mm. Data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s weather stations indicated that the eastern suburbs experienced the highest rainfall, averaging 85 mm, followed by 78 mm in the western suburbs and 41 mm in the island city. The impact of this rainfall has been substantial, with the total water stock in Mumbai’s seven lakes increasing by a notable 8% within 24 hours, reaching nearly 90% of full capacity as of Sunday morning.
This surge in lake levels marks a significant recovery from the three-year low experienced earlier in the season. Current levels stand at 89.10%, amounting to 12.89 lakh million litres of water—an impressive rise compared to previous years. The recent spate of rainfall, which included nearly 200 mm over key catchment areas such as Middle Vaitarna and Tulsi Lake, has substantially boosted the lakes’ water levels. In contrast, the same day last year saw lake levels at 79.25% capacity and 89.03% in 2022.
