Mumbai, Pune under IMD orange alert amid heavy pre-monsoon rain | Top weather updates

Mumbai and several nearby districts in Maharashtra are bracing for heavy rainfall as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert. This alert signals the imminent arrival of the southwest monsoon, which is anticipated to reach India's financial capital within the next 48 hours.

The rains experienced on Monday were confirmed as pre-monsoon showers, with the city recording an average of 17mm of rainfall between 6 am and 7 am. Western suburbs saw 10 mm during the same period. However, some localized areas experienced much higher downpours, with Savitribai Phule BMC School in Worli Naka recording 61 mm in one hour. The western suburbs saw even heavier rainfall, with Pali Chimbai School and Supari Tank BMC School in Bandra registering 70 mm each.

Beyond Mumbai, the orange alert also covers Raigad, Pune, and Ratnagiri districts. Thane, Palghar, and Sindhudurg are under a yellow warning. The IMD noted that the revival of the monsoon, which had stalled last week, is accompanied by conditions favorable for its gradual progress along the west coast and inland towards central India. Despite these showers, the country's overall rainfall deficit remains at 43 percent.