DNA
Mumbai, Jul 22: Has the monsoon come and gone? The city will have to wait another week or more for rains.
The weather bureau said the monsoon was going through a weak spell that would continue for a few days more. The monsoon axis, the official said, had moved towards the Himalayan foothills, which had affected rainfall in Mumbai and adjoining areas.
He added that though there would be sporadic incidents of rainfall, heavy rains could be expected only after a week or more.
Deputy Director General, Regional Met Centre, Colaba CVV Bhadram said, “It is not unusual to have dry spells during monsoon. Last year, monsoon hit the city in June and a major dry spell was recorded that extended till July second week. However, heavy rain fall was recorded throughout August and September.”
PS Deora, Scientist EF, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, said, “Heavy rain can be expected only when there is low pressure area formation. Though there is cloud movement in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, exact prediction of heavy rains could not be made unless there are favourable conditions.”
“There has to be sufficient moisture for cloud formation. Though cloud movement has been observed over the Bay of Bengal on Thursday, it is very difficult to predict its conversion into favourable cloud formation,” Deora said.
Conditions can be revived if sufficient moisture is there in atmosphere and also low pressure is developed over land which depends on surface temperature. “Low-pressure area is most important aspect for good rains. Cloud movement towards land was observed on Friday which is the indication of improvement in conditions,” Deora said. However, if sufficient moisture is not there in atmosphere over land, the cloud movement may be arrested and the clouds may remain over coastal area only, he added.
Though there has been a relatively long dry spell, lakes providing water to the city are already overflowing. According to BMC sources, all the six lakes are well above the overflow level. Water level in Modaksagar is 163.15 m whereas the overflow level is 143.26m; level in Tansa is 124.25m which is 5.38m above overflow level.