Mumbai Weather Update: City Receives Season’s First Pre-Monsoon Showers

Mumbaikars experienced a refreshing change in weather as the city received its first pre-monsoon showers of the season on Wednesday morning. The light rains started around 7 AM, bringing relief from the oppressive heat and humidity that had been prevailing.

Several parts of Mumbai, including Dadar, Kandivali, Magathane, Oshiwara, Wadala, and Ghatkopar, witnessed showers ranging from 4 mm to 26 mm between 7 AM and 8 AM. Central and south Mumbai areas also received light rain, contributing to a cooler and more pleasant atmosphere.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the weather for the day is predicted to remain partly cloudy. The maximum temperature is expected to settle at 35 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature will be around 29 degrees Celsius.

#Mumbai

Gandhi Market , Kings Circle never fails to disappoint.#MumbaiRainspic.twitter.com/UHCRoQROEK

— मुंबई Matters™ (@mumbaimatterz) June 5, 2024

Despite the showers, road traffic and train services in the city remained normal, indicating that the rainfall did not cause significant disruptions. Though, waterlogging was witnessed at Gandhi Market, Matunga in Mumbai as the city receives rainfall in morning.

Mumbai typically sees the onswet of the monsoon season in the second week of June. Last month, the city experienced unseasonal rain accompanied by gusty winds, which led to the collapse of a hoarding in Ghatkopar, resulting in several fatalities.

Global Weather Patterns: El Niño and La Niña

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has provided an update on the 2023-24 El Niño event, which has contributed to record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather globally. This naturally occurring phenomenon, characterized by the unusual warming of waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, is expected to transition to La Niña conditions later this year.

The year has already seen the warmest April on record and the 11th consecutive month of record-high temperatures. Sea-surface temperatures have also remained at record highs for the last 13 months. This unusual heat has been attributed to both the El Niño effect and the additional energy trapped in the atmosphere and oceans by greenhouse gases from human activities.

Amid this weakening El Niño, millions in South Asia, including India and Pakistan, endured severe heatwaves in April and May. Forecasts from the WMO Global Producing Centres of Long-Range Forecasts indicate equal chances (50 percent) for either neutral conditions or a transition to La Niña during the June-August period.

The first pre-monsoon showers in Mumbai have brought much-needed relief and a hopeful sign of the approaching monsoon season. As the weather patterns shift globally, the city, like many others, continues to adapt to the changing climatic conditions.