Issuing a ‘red alert’ for Mumbai, the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Regional Meteorological Centre predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in the country’s fiscal capital on Wednesday.
Regional Meteorological Centre head Dr Jayant Sarkar said the MeT office had earlier sounded an ‘orange alert’, but it has now been changed to ‘red alert’ for Wednesday because of the “favourable synoptic conditions”.
“There are two favourable synoptic situations for heavy to very heavy rains in Mumbai today and in the next few days,” PTI quoted the Regional Meteorological Centre head as saying.
Sarkar said the offshore trough, spread from south Gujarat coast to Karnataka, is expected to increase the intensity of showers.
He added the second factor is the “shear zone” developed over Mumbai and the neighbouring region.
Asserting there will be widespread rainfall over Konkan and central Maharashtra as well, Sarkar said the Marathwada region is also expected to receive widespread showers till Thursday and added the rain intensity is likely to reduce subsequently.
Another official from the MeT office said there is an off-shore trough running between Maharashtra and Karnataka, which generally carries moisture-laden westerly winds from the Arabian sea to land.
He added there is an east-west “shear zone cutting across Maharashtra” and it has been adding to the prevailing favourable monsoon conditions.