Unseasonal showers likely to bring relief from heatwave in Mumbai

After grappling with scorching temperatures amid a prolonged heatwave over the past fortnight, Mumbai and neighbouring districts of Thane and Palghar are likely to witness light rain accompanied by thunderstorms between Wednesday (March 18) and Thursday (March 19).

While no official alert has been issued forMumbai, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has placed Raigad and Ratnagiri districts under a yellow alert due to the possibility of light to moderate showers along with gusty winds and lightning.

Over the past two weeks, the region witnessed three heatwave alerts as maximum temperatures climbed to a five-year high of 40°C in Mumbai on March 10.

The first alert was issued between March 4 and 5, followed by a heatwave and severe warning between March 9 and 10, and a third alert on March 13.

Temperatures, however, eased over the weekend, with the city recording below-normal evening temperatures for March at 31°C in the suburbs on Sunday.

According to the IMD, Mumbai and nearby districts may experience rain activity along with thunderstorms and lightning in the coming days.

The city is expected to see partly cloudy skies with the possibility of thundershowers developing.

While Mumbai, Thane and Palghar are likely to receive light rain between March 18 and 19, moderate showers are forecast for Raigad and Ratnagiri, prompting the yellow alert for the Konkan districts.

Speaking to TheIndian Express, independent weather observer Athreya Shetty attributed the unseasonal showers to a western disturbance system.

“The trough associated with the western disturbance is dipping southwards near Karnataka and Kerala.

The region is also receiving a strong flow of westerly winds.

The interaction between the westerlies and the trough could trigger rain activity and thundershowers in Mumbai and adjoining areas,” Shetty said.

During this spell of unseasonal rain, temperatures are expected to remain near normal.

The IMD has forecast maximum temperatures of around 33°C and minimum temperatures of about 24°C over the next few days.

Though heavy rainfall is rare in Mumbai during March, the city occasionally records isolated thundershowers.

Meteorological records show that the wettest March on record was in 2023, when the city received more than 17 mm of rainfall.

Stay updated with the latest -Click here to follow us on Instagram