Date:01/08/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/08/01/stories/2005080100571500.htm

Back Another rain alert in Mumbai

Our Bureau

Thiruvananthapuram , July 31

A MASSIVE cluster of rain-bearing clouds poured its contents over Mumbai on Sunday in a feared repeat of the inundation set off by a monsoon vortex last Tuesday.

Civic authorities in the megalopolis have been warned about more heavy rain during the next 24-48 hours in view of as strong monsoon flows on the windward side of the Western Ghats.

Hardly has the prevailing deep monsoon depression crossed land and started on its west-northwestward progression than the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) has notified the formation of the next low-pressure areas over the Bay, which is expected to make landfall on August 6.

This will be the third `low' in a row, and which the NCMRWF has successfully predicted at least five days in advance, said Dr Akhilesh Gupta, Director.

The deep depression over northwest Bay of Bengal off Orissa coast moved inland in a westerly direction and lay practically stationary close to Keonjhgarh off Orissa on Sunday. Central India, north peninsular India, the Gujarat region, North Konkan and Goa are likely to receive widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy rains during next 2-3 days.