Mumbai sees wettest March day since IMD started recording rainfall in 1944

The IMD’s coastal observatory at Colaba on Tuesday recorded 25 mm of rain, which is also the highest rainfall recorded in March since 2015, when this observatory recorded 12 mm in March.

The highest-ever rainfall recorded in Colaba was also in March 1918, when 37.1 mm was recorded.

The intense spell of rain lasted for two hours on Tuesday morning, while certain parts of the city recorded only a light drizzle. Parts of the island city including Girgaon, Malabar Hill, Byculla and Worli recorded intense to moderate spells on Tuesday morning, while suburban areas like Kurla, Andheri, Dindoshi, Goregaon and Chembur recorded light drizzle.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) data from the Automatic Weather Stations between 6 am and 8 am show that the highest rainfall of 42 mm was recorded in Grant Road, followed by 41 mm in Mandavi (Dongri) and 35 mm in Byculla.

In the suburban belt, the highest rainfall of 19.5 mm was recorded in Mulund, followed by 18.5 mm in Bhandup and 17.78 mm in Dahisar. IMD officials said the spells were caused due to intense westerlies which are passing over the city.

“Currently, there is a moisture incursion happening over Mumbai which is happening due to the wet westerly winds passing over Mumbai from the Arabian Sea. The moisture presence will be there for the next few days and Mumbai, along with its adjoining districts like Palghar, Thane and Raigad, may experience light rains till Thursday (March 23),” said Sushma Nair, senior scientist from IMD.

Meanwhile, the rains also led to a drop in daily temperature. The day temperatures recorded in Santacruz and Colaba were 31.6 degrees Celsius and 30.8 degrees Celsius, respectively, which were two and one degree below normal.

Better AQI in city

Mumbai also recorded air quality index, or AQI, in the ‘satisfactory’ category for the second day in a row on Tuesday, as the SAFAR system showed the city’s AQI to be 77. IMD experts have attributed this to pre-monsoon rain, stating that the rain dispersed off accumulated pollutants in the air.