Light rainfall likely in Mumbai today, yellow alert issued in Delhi

Mumbai is likely to witness light rain on Saturday (31 May), according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The forecast also indicates a generally cloudy sky with thunder, lightning and gusty winds.

 

Daytime temperatures are expected to range between 27 and 34 degrees Celsius. The IMD has also warned of isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over Konkan and Goa from 27 May to 2 June. 

 

Mumbai logs record May rainfall

 

Mumbai recorded its highest 24-hour rainfall for May since Cyclone Tauktae in 2021, marking the early onset of the southwest monsoon. On Tuesday, Santacruz’s cumulative rainfall reached 324 mm, while Colaba broke its May record of 279.4 mm set in 1918, making it the wettest May day ever recorded there.

 

 

Heavy rain and waterlogging disrupted flights and train services. Airlines such as IndiGo and Air India issued travel advisories. On Wednesday, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) managing director Ashwini Bhide said water seepage at Acharya Atre Chowk station was due to sudden intense rainfall and assured there was no safety risk, with all protocols followed. The flooding affected both concourse and platform levels after Mumbai saw nearly 90 mm of rain in just 90 minutes. 

 

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) fined four mini pumping station operators ₹10 lakh each for failing to install and activate pumps at key flood-prone junctions during the downpour. The BMC said penalties were imposed on operators at Hindmata, Gandhi Market, Yellow Gate and Chunabhatti for not ensuring the stations were operational before 25 May, as mandated in the pre-monsoon requirements.

 

Yellow alert in Delhi

 

Delhi is set to see cloudy skies with moderate rainfall today. Thunderstorms and lightning are expected as well. The minimum temperature is likely to hover around 27 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius. The IMD has issued a yellow alert for the day. 

 

Air quality in Delhi remained in the ‘moderate’ category on Saturday morning. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 197 at 8 am on 31 May.

 

According to the CPCB, AQI is categorised as follows: 0–50 (Good), 51–100 (Satisfactory), 101–200 (Moderate), 201–300 (Poor), 301–400 (Very Poor), and 401–500 (Severe).