The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced the withdrawal of the Southwest Monsoon from Mumbai on Friday. This is Mumbai`s earliest withdrawal since 2018, when the monsoon had withdrawn on October 6. Last year, the monsoon withdrew on October 15. This year, Mumbai recorded an early onset of the season, the first in 75 years, on May 26. The Southwest Monsoon arrived in Kerala on May 24. The city has also reported above average rainfall throughout the season.
Declaring the monsoon withdrawal from the region, IMD said, “The Southwest Monsoon has withdrawn from the remaining parts of Gujarat, some parts of Maharashtra, most parts of Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, as well as some parts of Bihar on Friday, October 10. The current monsoon withdrawal line passes through Alibag, Akola, and Ahilyanagar in Maharashtra.”
While typically, the monsoon withdraws from Mumbai in the second or third week of October, IMD had earlier indicated a delayed withdrawal due to Western disturbances. However, Mumbai has reported no rainfall since Tuesday. IMD issues a withdrawal of monsoon when there is a lack of moisture as per imagery, and there is dryness for up to five days. “The delayed monsoon withdrawal is a common phenomenon with the persisting systems. We are at present at the cusp of monsoon and post-monsoon season,” an official said.
Since June, Mumbai’s Santacruz observatory recorded 3113 mm of rainfall, which is 134 per cent of the annual average of 2319 mm. The Colaba observatory reported 2270 mm of rainfall — 103 per cent of the annual average rainfall of 2195 mm. The maximum temperatures in Mumbai on Thursday touched 32.5 degrees C for Colaba and 33.7 degrees C for the Santacruz observatory. The minimum temperature for Colaba was 25 degrees C and Santacruz at 23 degrees C, with relative humidity above 70 per cent for both weather stations.
