2013 Mumbai Monsoon; please click on this link for => HIGH TIDE DAYS AND RAINFALL LEVELS IN MUMBAI IN 2013.

Monsoon Rain in Mumbai – 2012

2012 Actual Vs Normal Monsoon Rainfall in Mumbai

(All figures in “mm”)

• The Mumbai Monsoon has improved dramatically from the third week of August. The rain deficit between Actual Rainfall Vs Normal Rainfall in Colaba has reduced to 35% from 53% and in Santacruz, it has reduced to 19% from 38%. The last 10 days of August and the first 10 days of September have seen excellent rain and this deficit number will further reduce.
• Fortunately the rainfall in the important Mumbai Lake Catchment area has been relatively better than Mumbai city and with luck, there will be enough water in the Mumbai Lakes for Mumbai City in 2012-2013.
• Usually Mumbai receives the maximum rain during the last week of July and early August. Almost 60% of Mumbai rains fall during this period. Unfortunately, end July & first week of August have been relatively dry. Starting 1 July, BMC has cut water supply to Mumbai by 10%. View the 2012 Mumbai Lake levels.
• Weather pattern may get worse because of the effect of “El Nino” kicking in this month.

2012 Mumbai High Tide Dates – Beware of Flooding on These Days

During the Mumbai rains, HIGH TIDE of 4.5 meters and above is considered the DANGER MARK by the BMC. The first week of June has the FIVE MOST DANGEROUS DAYS for FLOODING in Mumbai. When the high tide is over 4.5 m, the BMC closes the gates of storm water drains which take the rain water from Mumbai city into the sea. This is done to prevent sea water from entering the city and adding to the already existing rainwater, thereby leading to floods.

In 2012, there will be 33 instances during the monsoon season when the HIGH TIDE height will be over 4.45m.  The biggest waves will be on June 6, 2012 (4.97m, 1:27 pm), followed by July 5, 2012 (4.87m, 1:12 pm) and July 4, 2012 (4.85m, 12:30 pm). If there is HEAVY RAINS (over 100 mm per hour) during HIGH TIDE (over 4.5 m), there can be flooding in Mumbai.

IMPORTANT HIGH TIDE DATES FOR 2012 MUMBAI MONSOON

Five Most Dangerous Dates For Flooding In Mumbai In 2012

Tuesday, 3 July, 2012 to Saturday, 7 July, 2012 are the five most dangerous days during the 2012 Mumbai Monsoon season when the city can get flooded if it rains hard. Usually, Bombay experiences it’s heaviest rains in July, so there is a strong possibility of flooding during these five days.

The High Tide level on these five days is 4.73m (July 3), 4.85m (July 4), 4.87m (July 5), 4.80m (July 6), 4.64m (July 7). The highest tide will occur between 10:58 am to 2:30 pm.

In case of heavy rains, office goers are advised to reach their office before 10:00 am on these dates.

BMC’s Disaster Management Cell – Phone Number 108

108 is the emergency number of the BMC’s Disaster Management Cell. For Mumbai monsoon related emergencies, please call 108. Within two minutes of receiving the emergency call, the ward officers where the emergency has taken place will be informed. 24 administrative wards and the various government departments are connected to the Disaster Management Control room. The 24 wards have their local rescue teams.

1916 is another number to call in case of a monsoon related problem in Mumbai. Call this number if you wish to complain about potholes in the road, trees, etc.

Mahesh Narvekar is the Head of the Disaster Management Office of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). In order to coordinate the rain and flood efforts, officers from various government departments, such as railways, police, emergency services, fire fighters, BEST, health services, utilities, sanitation, army, navy, coast guard, CRPF, meteorological department, meet to access the situation.

In case schools are to be closed due to heavy rains, civic officials will alert residents in advance through text messages and notices to school authorities.

Low Lying Areas in Mumbai That Get Flooded

BMC has identified 213 low-lying areas which usually get flooded. Of the 213, 80 are in the city, 70 in the Eastern suburbs and 63 in the Western suburb. Pumps are installed in many of these areas to get rid of accumulated rain water.

Flood prone areas in Mumbai and general trouble spots in the rain are:

• Grant Road,
• Nana Chowk,
• Tardeo,
• Mumbai Central,
• Saat Rasta (Mahalaxmi Station), N M Joshi Marg,
• Lalbaug,
• Byculla Station,
• Dadar Chowpatty,
• Hindmata (Dadar),
• Milan Subway (Santacruz),
• Kalina,
• Kranti Nagar,
• King’s Circle (Matunga),
• Sion,
• Mahendra Park Ghatkopar,
• Chembur, Shell Colony,
• Deonar,
• Dharavi,
• Kurla Surve Chowk, Sanjay Nagar, Sunder Park,
• Jai Bharat Society Khar (W),
• JVPD scheme (Juhu),
• Four and Seven Bungalows (Versowa),
• Kandivali,
• Shastri Nagar,
• Sarvodaya Nagar,

Dos and Don’t for Mumbai Residence During The Rains

• Enjoy the greenery that the rains bring to the city of Mumbai.
• Contact BMC’s Disaster Management Department on 108 for emergency help and information regarding floods.
• On the days of High Tide and Heavy Rains, avoid travelling if possible.
• In flooded areas, authorities tend to leave drains open. Watch your step. In case you find a drain open, call 108 and instruct people to avoid it.
• Avoid beaches, waterfalls, ponds, etc. They look inviting in the rains, but unfortunately many people have accidents at these spots during the monsoon.
• Residence living on the ground floor should keep their valuables at a height during heavy rains.
• Park motor vehicles on high ground. Avoid basement parking if they get flooded. Avoid parking cars under trees.
• Roads develop potholes. Drive carefully to avoid damaging your vehicle.
• In case you are in a car that is stuck in water, lower the windows a little. This will allow air to come in even if the electronic windows get jammed. Suffocation is a serious risk.
• In case a tree looks unstable, inform the ward office.
• Do not throw rubbish, especially plastics, on the streets and gutter. This leads to clogging of the storm water drains, leading to flooding.
• Do not let water stagnate. These are breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
• Boil water before drinking. Stomach and water related ailments are common because of the monsoons.
• Avoid street food since one is not sure of the water used.
• Change of weather causes illness. Be cautious. Children are especially susceptible to these problems.
• Avoid getting wet, especially if you work in a cool, enclosed environment, like an air-conditioned office. It’s easy to fall sick. Use umbrellas and raincoats.
• Do not spread false rumours.

Mumbai Monsoon Floods of July 26, 2005

On 26 July 2005, Mumbai experienced devastating floods. The floods were caused by due to natural causes (combination of high tide of 4.85 m and 944 mm/39.1 inches of rain) and man-made causes (silting and narrowing o f Mithi River, destruction of mangraoves, garbage in storm drains, ancient drain systems, poor planning in Northern Suburbs, etc). During the July 2005 floods, nearly 400 people lost their lives. Property worth crores was damaged. Many people could not reach home and spent the night on the streets of Mumbai, because transport had come to a standstill.

In the West coast of India, nearly 5,000 people died during the rains of 2005.

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