Mumbai Breaks 107-Year-Old May Rainfall Record With 135 mm Downpour

Mumbai received 135 mm of rainfall in Colaba on Monday morning, breaking a 107-year-old record for May. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an ‘Orange’ alert for Mumbai, Thane, and Raigad, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and gusty winds.

What Happened

Mumbai woke up to dark skies and intense rainfall on Monday, with the Colaba observatory recording 135 mm of rain till 8:30 am—pushing the total monthly rainfall to 295 mm, surpassing the previous May record of 279.4 mm set in 1918. In contrast, the Santacruz observatory recorded 33 mm during the same period.

The IMD has confirmed that this is a monsoon rainfall, driven by intense showers in the Raigad district. Monday’s showers have resulted in moderate to heavy rain across Mumbai, along with gusty winds of up to 40 kmph.

Alerts and Forecast

• Orange Alert: Issued for Mumbai, Thane, and Raigad till 8:30 am, May 27 (Tuesday), indicating heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning, and winds reaching 60 kmph.
  
• Nowcast Warning: Forecasts continued heavy rainfall throughout Monday in Mumbai and surrounding districts.
  

According to IMD scientist Sushma Nair, Colaba experienced “extremely heavy rainfall” due to the spillover from Raigad. Rainfall is expected to continue throughout the day.

Monsoon Arrives Early

• The Southwest Monsoon made an early onset over Maharashtra on May 25, arriving 10 days ahead of the usual June 5 date.
  
• This marks the earliest arrival of the monsoon in Mumbai in 35 years, with the last early onset occurring in 1990.

Rainfall Data Highlights

• Colaba: 135 mm on Monday morning; 295 mm total for May—new all-time May record.
  
• Santacruz: 33 mm recorded Monday morning; 197.8 mm total for May so far. The May record here stands at 387.8 mm (2000).
  
• BMC Reports (Last 24 Hours):
  
  • Island City: Avg 58 mm
    
  • Eastern Suburbs: 19 mm
    
  • Western Suburbs: 15 mm

Highest 1-Hour Rainfall (6–7 am):

• Nariman Point: 40 mm
  
• Grant Road: 36 mm
  
• Colaba: 31 mm

Impact on Daily Life

• Waterlogging and traffic congestion reported at:
  
  • Dadar TT flyover
    
  • King’s Circle flyover
    
  • Saki Naka, Andheri
    
• Slow vehicular movement caused by persistent rains has affected morning commutes across the city.

Read More : Suspect Charged with Murder in Fatal DC Shooting of Israeli Embassy Aides & Abhibus Coupon Code .