Orange alert for Maharashtra’s Mumbai and Thane, red for Raigad today | Mumbai News – Times of India

The India Meteorological Department has issued alerts for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and Raigad due to anticipated heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. Mumbai recorded its first significant rain spell in September early Tuesday morning.

MUMBAI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar for Wednesday, indicating a high likelihood of heavy to very heavy rainfall and thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places. For Raigad, meanwhile, a red alert has been issued for Wednesday with a forecast for extremely heavy rainfall and thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places.
In the early hours of Tuesday, Mumbai recorded its first heavy rain spell for the month of Sept.In the 24 hours ended 8.30am on Sept 24, IMD’s Santacruz observatory recorded 75mm of rain. According to IMD classification, rainfall between 64.5mm and 115.5mm falls in the heavy rain category.
An IMD official said all the heavy showers on Tuesday were recorded between 2.30am and 4.30am. The period of this rain activity may increase on Wednesday night. “There was a thunderstorm accompanied by lightning owing to the existing weather conditions, which are very conducive for thunder activity,” said the official. Some city residents said heavy rain and loud thunder woke them up. “It started around 3am and was accompanied by short and heavy spells,” said a resident.
Residents of adjoining Kalyan, Dombivli, Thane and Panvel experienced similar weather activity too.
Thunderstorm activity is mostly restricted to certain areas and is also a feature of a retreating monsoon. The southwest monsoon has already begun its withdrawal. On Tuesday, IMD announced its withdrawal from some more parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat, and some of Punjab and Haryana.
Around 1.22am on Tuesday, X handle Mumbai Nowcast posted:”Thunderstorms had formed just a few kilometres north of Kalyan-Dombivali-Bhiwandi; hence an increase in thunder activity was expected.” The reason for the wet spell is also a low pressure area.
“Under the influence of cyclonic circulation over central Bay of Bengal, a low-pressure area has formed over West central Bay of Bengal and the adjoining northwest bay off north Andhra-south Odisha coasts,” said the IMD.