Monsoon update: 'Very Heavy' rainfall likely in coastal Maharashtra, Goa today

The IMD has been warning that Mumbai and surrounding areas may witness heavy to very heavy rainfall from June 8 to June 10.

With monsoon already having entered Maharashtra yesterday (June 8), very heavy rainfall is expected today in coastal parts of the state, including Mumbai, and Goa. There has already been an increased rainfall activity over coastal Karnataka, Goa and south Maharashtra.

The civic authorities in Mumbai and surrounding areas are on alert to tackle with and emergency. Even the weenkend offs of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) employees has been cancelled in view of IMD's forecast.

IMD's bulletin today said Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of Central Arabian Sea, remaining parts of Goa, Karnataka and Rayalaseema, some parts of south Konkan, south Madhya Maharashtra, Marathawada, Vidarbha, south Chhattisgarh and south Odisha, entire Telangana, most parts of Coastal Andhra Pradesh, remaining parts of West Central Bay of Bengal and most parts of North Bay of Bengal.

"Conditions are very likely to become favorable for further advance of
Southwest Monsoon into most parts of Arabian Sea, remaining parts of Maharashtra, some parts of south Gujarat region, southern parts of Madhya Pradesh, some more parts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha, some parts of West Bengal & Sikkim, remaining parts of Northeastern States and Bay of
Bengal during the subsequent 48 hours," it added.

Pre-monsoon showers in Mumbai on Thursday disrupted the normal life as the local trains serivces were affected. Trains running on Mumbai's suburban railway Central line were delayed by at least 20 minutes. Some flights also had to be diverted to Ahmedabad as the downpour was heavy.

The IMD has been warning that Mumbai and surrounding areas may witness heavy to very heavy rainfall from June 8 to June 10.

Coastal Maharashtra and Goa remain particularly vulnarable as the can really be heavy in these parts. As per the IMD forecast, there is a possibility of very heavy rainfall in Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts on June 9. There is a similar forecast for the six districts of Konkan region, including Mumbai, and surrounding areas on June 10 and 11.

People in Mumbai can dial 1916 and those outside Mumbai can dial 1077 in case of emergency.

According to the IMD's prediction on distribution of rainfall this monsoon, the central India will get 'normal' rainfall but the southern Peninsula - Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry - may get 'below normal' rainfall. The north-east India is expected to get least rainfall (below normal) during the period. The monthly rainfall over the country as whole is likely to be 101% of its Long Period Average (LPA) during July, and 94% of the LPA during August - both with a model error of plus or minus 9%.

Anything between 90%-96% of the LPA is considered "below normal" while rainfall in the range of 96%-104% of the LPA is considered "normal." Also, rainfall is considered "deficient" if it ranges below 90% of the LPA, and "above normal" if it falls between 104%-110% cent of the LPA. Above 110% of the LPA is considered "excess" rainfall.