Mumbai experienced intense rainfall on Monday as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a ‘yellow’ alert for the city, effective until Wednesday. The downpour, accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 40 kmph, marked an early onset of the Southwest Monsoon—arriving ten days ahead of the usual date of June 5.
According to IMD data, Colaba recorded 135 mm of rainfall till 8:30 am, while Santacruz reported 33 mm. The coastal observatory at Colaba has now documented 295 mm of rain this May, surpassing the previous record of 279.4 mm set in 1918. Meanwhile, the Santacruz observatory has logged 197.8 mm so far this month, compared to its highest ever May record of 387.8 mm in 2000.
IMD Mumbai scientist Sushma Nair confirmed that the current rainfall is part of the monsoon activity, stating that “extremely heavy rainfall was recorded in south Mumbai, particularly due to the intense showers originating in Raigad district.” Nair also noted that moderate to heavy showers are expected to persist throughout the day.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s automated weather system reported that the island city received an average of 58 mm of rain over the last 24 hours. The eastern and western suburbs recorded 19 mm and 15 mm respectively. Between 6 am and 7 am, Nariman Point topped the rainfall chart with 40 mm, followed by Grant Road at 36 mm and Colaba at 31 mm.
This early monsoon is the earliest Mumbai has seen in 35 years, with the last similar occurrence in 1990 when the monsoon arrived on May 20. Sunday’s onset on May 25 marked a significant shift in seasonal patterns for the state.
Besides Mumbai, the IMD had also issued early morning nowcast warnings for heavy rainfall in Thane, Raigad, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Satara, Kolhapur, and Nashik districts.
The heavy showers disrupted daily life in Mumbai, causing traffic snarls across the city. Waterlogging was reported near Dadar TT flyover, leading to slow-moving traffic. Congestion was also observed at King’s Circle flyover and in Saki Naka, Andheri, due to continuous rainfall.
Authorities have urged residents to remain cautious and plan their travel accordingly, while monitoring further weather updates.