Mumbai set for early monsoon as IMD predicts rainfall surge | Here’s why!

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Yellow Alert for Mumbai and the Konkan region for the next four days. Meanwhile, an Orange Alert for Raigad, Nashik, Pune, Satara, Kolhapur, and other districts. The alerts are in place for the coming days as monsoon conditions build earlier than expected. Mumbai has recorded unusually high pre-monsoon showers, with 85.2 mm of rain at Colaba and 47.4 mm at Santacruz, making this May the wettest since 2021. Rain, thunder, and gusty winds were first observed as early as 6 May.

Mumbai is no stranger to unseasonal summer rain, but this year’s showers arrived unusually early and have continued sporadically over the past two weeks. Meteorologists attribute the early onset to an upper-level trough caused by a western disturbance. IMD officials say the Southwest Monsoon could hit Kerala by May 27, ahead of the usual 1 June schedule, and reach Maharashtra about 5–6 days early. Normally, the monsoon reaches Konkan by June 5, Pune by June 10, and Mumbai by June 11.

According to IMD, the neutral ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions over the Indian Ocean are creating favourable circumstances for an early and strong monsoon. 

Further, IMD reports the formation of a low-pressure area near the Konkan coast and a cyclonic circulation in the Arabian Sea, likely to trigger widespread rainfall. A separate system over Bay of Bengal near South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and North Tamil Nadu is also developing. This system is expected to move inland within the next 36 hours, said reports.