Mahabaleshwar, situated in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, became the wettest place in India after Cherrapunji in Meghalaya, as of August 8, according to data provided by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). It recorded 6,031.5 mm rainfall as against 5,397.5 mm in Cherrapunji between June 1 and August 8.
The port town of Karnataka, Hanovar, received the third highest rainfall (2,692.5 mm) between June 1 and August 8, followed by Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, which received 2,565.6 mm in the same time period. Suburban Mumbai recorded 2,454 mm rainfall.
For the last eight days, Mahabaleshwar has recorded over 200 mm rainfall in 24 hours. Starting 8.30 am on Wednesday, the hill station recorded 267.4 mm rainfall within 24 hours. This is the highest 24-hour rainfall recorded in the area in two years.
After incessant and heavy rainfall over the last weekend, the IMD has forecast light to moderate rain in Mumbai and adjoining cities of Thane and Palghar till the upcoming weekend. The weather bureau has put Raigad on orange alert, with forecast of heavy to very heavy rain in isolated places.
“The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal off the north Odisha-West Bengal coast has weakened, and it now lies over north-east Chattisgarh and its neighbouring areas.
There is likely to be an enhancement of rain over parts of the Konkan region and Madhya Maharashtra during the next two days, and reduction thereafter,” said an IMD official.
On Thursday, very light rain was recorded in Mumbai and adjoining areas of Thane and Palghar. The weather bureau’s Santacruz observatory recorded 0.4 mm rain in nine hours, starting 8.30 am, while the Colaba observatory recorded 1 mm in the same time period.
The IMD’s suburban weather observatory recorded 1 mm rain in 24 hours starting 8.30 am on Tuesday, while Colaba recorded 8 mm in the same time period.
