The current hot and sultry weather of Mumbai is here to stay,at least for a while,with no monsoon activity at sight on the western coast,the India Meteorology Department (IMD) said on Sunday. The maximum temperature in Mumbai hovered around 35.5°C and 34.1°C with humidity remaining high at 79 and 66 per cent in Colaba and Santa Cruz respectively. IMD Deputy Director General Dr R V Sharma said that the monsoon made an early start this year reaching Kerala,and then Karnataka,over two weeks before time. The south-west monsoon had advanced to Mangalore by May 25. Ideally,it takes one week for the rains to reach Mumbai from Mangalore. But this year,it has not advanced further. The IMD stated that moisture over the Western coast was weakened after cyclone Aila hit the Bay of Bengal. While slight cloudiness persisted over Mumbai on Sunday,Sharma said that it was just a local formation and that any monsoon development over the city or state was absent. The IMD has predicted partly cloudy skies over the next 48 hours. Sharma added,The pre-monsoon showers too have disappeared and theres no chance of any such activity in the near future. We are watching the development carefully,and hoping that the conditions become favorable for rains in a few days.
