The latter half of 2021 saw Mumbai regain somewhat of its normalcy as lockdown restrictions were lifted and citizens returned to the daily grind.
What also returned this year were the unseasonal rains, which, as the numbers show, seemed to have some catching up to do.
On December 1, Mumbai recorded its highest ever 24-hour rainfall in December. In the 24-hour period ending 8:30 am, on Thursday, the financial capital witnessed a record 91.2 mm of rains in just 24 hours. This shattered the previous record, from four years back, wherein 53.8 mm rain was recorded in a 24-hour period ending December 6, 2017.
The Indian Meteorological Department's (IMD) Santacruz observatory (which represents Mumbai suburbs) recorded 91.2 mm rainfall whereas the IMD's Colaba observatory (which represents south Mumbai) recorded a rainfall of 90 mm during the same period.
Owing to the rains, the maximum temperature in the suburbs dropped to 24.8 degrees Celsius (8.5 degree Celsius drop). The maximum temperature in Colaba was also 24.8 degrees Celsius, which was 7.4 degrees Celsius dip from the previous day.
There was hardly any difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures on the day as the minimum temperatures recorded by the IMD Colaba observatory was 24.5 degree and Santacruz observatory was 23.8 degrees.
The total rainfall recorded from October 1 to December 2 (non-monsoon months) at Santacruz observatory is 133.1 mm whereas Colaba observatory recorded cumulative rainfall of 160.2 mm during the same period.
Rain in November-December is not a usual feature in Maharashtra. However, a cyclonic circulation lies over the southeast and the east-central Arabian Sea, leading to heavy rainfall. Its interaction with a western disturbance — a cyclonic circulation that originates in the Mediterranean, traverses across Central Asia and gives rain and snow over north India — brings a lot of moisture.
Shubhangi Bhute, a scientist at IMD, Mumbai said that the rainfall in the city this December was due to a cyclonic circulation over the south-east Arabian Sea and adjoining Lakshadweep area which as of December 1 was over south-east and adjoining east-central Arabian sea.
It was under the influence of these weather systems that a wet spell continued over most parts of Maharashtra from November 30 to December 2.
