3 days to go, July rainfall hits lowest in decade

The lowest July rainfall for the city after 2002 has been recorded this year owing to the weak performance of south-west monsoon. With only three days remaining of the month and the entire state including Mumbai expected to get only light to moderate rain over the weekend, it is likely to remain the lowest-rain July in a decade.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), till 8.30 am on July 28, the monthly July rainfall recorded in the suburbs, considered indicative of the rainfall in the whole of Mumbai was only 590.9 mm, the lowest in July after 2002 when only 102.8 mm of rain was received in the month.

From June 1 till date, the island city has recorded 548.1 mm rainfall as compared to the normal of 1221.3 mm, accumulating a rain deficit of 63.2 percent whereas the suburbs received 889.4 mm rainfall as compared to the normal of 1,280.8 mm, with a deficit of 31 percent.

The ever-increasing rain deficit in the city is the result of a weak south-west monsoon across the country this year, Maharashtra among the worst affected states with many parts of it reeling under a drought-like situation. The rain deficit in the country as a whole from June 1 to July 27 is 21 percent, which is considered deficient.

After a delay in its arrival, reaching Kerala on June 5 instead of June 1, the monsoon reached Mumbai on June 17, a week after the normal onset date. Weak monsoon activity led to June being largely dry. July offered some hope after heavy rainfall in the first week, but rain activity came down thereafter, with only light to moderate rain till the middle of the month. Showers returned with some force in the third week, and yet again turned dull.

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