Mumbai records driest August since 2015

In 2015, 154 mm was recorded in the month — the lowest in the past decade.

Till August 18, Mumbai recorded 30.6 mm of rainfall, while above 140 mm of rainfall was recorded in the last fortnight of the month.

The driest August in Mumbai was recorded in 1972 when the IMD observatory recorded 108.6 mm of rain and the wettest August was recorded in 1958, when the city received 1,254 mm of rainfall in the month.

IMD officials said that the Long-Range Forecast (LRF) for September shows that there is no possibility of good rainfall till September 10.

“The current forecast shows there is no chance of heavy rain over Mumbai and Konkan belt till September 10,” Sushma Nair, scientist from IMD Mumbai told The Indian Express on Thursday. The city recorded 68% deficit in August rain, she said.

Attributing the primary reason to the monsoon trough that is at the foothill of Himalayas, Nair said, “There was no proper low pressure that developed in August, the monsoon current in Arabian Sea was also significantly weaker during the month and the trough got settled in the foothills of the Himalayas. These resulted in below average rainfall in Mumbai.”

In July, Mumbai recorded 1,769 mm rainfall, which was almost double the average quantum of rain for that month. In June also, Mumbai recorded 549 mm of rainfall that surpassed the monthly quota of 537 mm. The city also surpassed the seasonal average of rain by the end of July despite a delay in monsoon onset.

Meanwhile, water stock in all the seven lakes that supply water to Mumbai stand at 90.55%, while the level last year on August 31 was 96% and in 2021 it was around 88%.

Out of the seven lakes, the Vehar and Tulsi lakes are 100% full, while the stock in Tansa stand at 99%, followed by 98% in Modak Sagar, 97% in middle Vaitarna, 88% in Bhatsa and 78% in Upper Vaitarna.