Mumbai weather: Heavy rainfall expected next week; IMD issues alert across Maharashtra

Mumbai to expect heavy rains and early arrival of monsoon.

Mumbai is preparing for a potentially wet and disruptive week ahead. Weather forecasts predict that a low-pressure system will likely form near the Konkan coast and the Arabian Sea by May 22, bringing widespread and intense rainfall to the city and surrounding areas.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a cyclonic circulation is expected to develop off the Konkan coast within the next 24 hours.

Additionally, there is a separate weather system currently situated over the Bay of Bengal, near South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and North Tamil Nadu. This system is expected to move inland within the next 36 hours. As it interacts with weather patterns over the Arabian Sea, conditions will favor the formation of a low-pressure area, leading to intensified rainfall along Maharashtra’s coastal regions.

The IMD has issued an Orange alert for Thane, Pune, Nasik, Raigad, and Latur districts, while Mumbai has been placed under a Yellow alert. A Red alert has been issued for Ahmednagar, Solapur, and Osmanabad districts due to the possibility of moderate thunderstorms accompanied by intense rainfall.

Mumbai is expected to experience light showers starting Monday, May 19, with rainfall gradually increasing in intensity throughout the week. On May 20, moderate and scattered rain is likely to continue, with temperatures ranging from 26°C to 32°C. However, it is in midweek—particularly on May 22 and 23—that the city could be hit by heavy rainfall, which may exceed three digits within a 24-hour period, according to the weather agency.

On May 22, heavy rainfall is anticipated, with the potential for intense downpours leading to significant accumulation. The heavy rainfall is expected to persist on May 23, possibly causing disruptions in the city.

This series of showers will mark Mumbai’s first major rainfall event of 2025 and could result in waterlogging and flooding in low-lying areas.

When is monsoon arriving in Mumbai? 

Shubhangi Bhute, Director of IMD Mumbai, confirmed that pre-monsoon showers began in the city after May 13. In an interview with The Indian Express, Bhute indicated that Mumbai could experience an earlier-than-usual monsoon this year. Traditionally, the official onset date for the monsoon in Mumbai is June 11.

Current forecasts suggest that the Southwest Monsoon is expected to arrive in Kerala by May 28, ahead of its usual schedule. After its arrival in Kerala, the monsoon typically takes around 8 to 10 days to reach Maharashtra and surrounding areas.

IMD official Shetty indicated that Mumbai might see the onset of monsoon rains as early as the first week of June this year.

Bhute explained that the conditions favoring an early monsoon are largely due to the neutral phases of both the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD).

“At present, neutral El Niño and neutral IOD conditions prevail over the Indian Ocean. These neutral phases are likely to support robust monsoon activity and could lead to an earlier onset of the monsoon,” Bhute told The Indian Express.

(with agency inputs)