Two days on, IMD’s Doppler radar in Mumbai remains defunct, may take 24 hours more to be fixed

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India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Doppler radar, which surveys weather patterns, and forecasts and records rainfall, remained dysfunctional for the second day in a row. The city’s only Doppler radar stopped working at 4am on Wednesday.

“It will take at least 24 hours to get the radar functioning, as there is a technical problem with the printed circuit board card,” said a senior official from IMD.

“We have sent officials to Bengaluru to collect a replacement from the agency that maintains the radar and are trying to ensure it is operational at the earliest.”

He said, currently, for forecasting the weather in Mumbai, IMD is relying on satellite products and other tools.

Meanwhile, the city received very little rainfall on Thursday. Between 8.30am and 5.30pm, south Mumbai recorded 0.2mm rainfall, while the suburbs recorded 0.6mm. However, from 7.30pm onwards, some parts of the suburbs recorded isolated moderate showers.

“Monsoon conditions over north Konkan, including Mumbai, have weakened owing to less marked weather systems. Light to moderate rain is expected till Monday,” said Sunil Kamble, scientist, IMD.

Between 8.30am Wednesday and 8.30am Thursday, south Mumbai recorded 72.2mm rain (heavy), while the suburbs recorded 50.2mm (moderate). Rain over the city was well distributed over 24 hours ranging from light to moderate showers, IMD said.

Skymet Weather’s forecast for reduction in rain activity over Mumbai for Thursday was accurate. “For the next one week, our weather models indicate very less rain activity over Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and other parts of north Konkan. The cyclonic circulation over south Gujarat and the offshore trough along the west coast, both have weakened allowing reduction in westerly winds and drop in wind speed,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president (meteorology and climate change), Skymet.

Palawat said owing to the dysfunctional Doppler radar, rain forecasts were inaccurate by IMD over the past 48 hours.