Pre-monsoon showers hit Mumbai, heavy rains likely in West Coast

Mumbai, Nashik and certain adjoining areas experienced pre-monsoon showers, sources said on Sunday.

Pre-monsoon showers also lashed Trimbakeshwar, Igatpuri and Yeola tehsils on Saturday.

The India Meteorological Department is closely monitoring a depression that has developed over the Arabian Sea and is expected to turn into a "deep depression", bringing heavy rains in Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat.

Such a phenomenon affects the progress of monsoon, weather experts said.

IMD is yet to term it as a "cyclonic storm", but Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, has said that the "depression" has already developed into a "deep depression" and is rapidly gaining strength showing features of a "tropical storm".

"Latest satellite imagery and observations indicate that a depression has formed over east-central Arabian Sea and lay centred at 08:30 hours IST on Sunday, June 7, about 690 km southwest of Mumbai, 740 km south-southwest of Veraval (Gujarat) and 1230 km southeast of Masirah Island (Oman).

"It would move north-northwestwards and intensify further into a deep depression during next 24 hours. Strong winds speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph would prevail along and off Maharashtra, Konkan and Goa coasts during next 48 hours. Sea condition would be rough along and off Maharashtra, Konkan and Goa coasts during the same period," IMD said.

It has categorised cyclones in various degrees, starting with "depression" and "deep depression", followed by a "cyclonic storm".

"We are monitoring the progress of the depression. It would be difficult to say if this would affect the progress of monsoon. At times, such patterns help give more moisture to the monsoon winds and help in progress.

"But there have been times when it has affected the progress of monsoon. Last year, cyclonic storm Nanauk in ArabianOcean affected the progress of monsoon. It was supposed to hit Mumbai by June 10, but finally arrived on June 15," said Krishnanand Hosalikar, Deputy Director General, IMD.

Image: Mumbaikars revel in the pre-monsoon showers that arrived in the city on Sunday bringing temperatures down. Photograph: PTI