Scanty Pre-Monsoon Showers In Mumbai: Sultry Weather Continues
Representational Image: AI-Skymet
Key Takeaways:
- Mumbai has received only one brief spell of pre-monsoon rain so far.
- A weather system over the Arabian Sea is restricting rainfall activity from advancing northward.
- Humidity levels above 60% may trigger uncomfortable sultry conditions across the city.
- Monsoon progress toward Mumbai currently appears slow and sluggish.
The wait for typical pre-monsoon showers in Mumbai is getting longer. The city has received only one brief spell of pre-monsoon activity during the early hours of May 31, 2026, when Santacruz observatory recorded 9 mm rainfall. However, these showers completely missed the regional observatory at Colaba.
The normal date for the arrival of the Southwest Monsoon over Mumbai is June 11. Usually, the onset phase is preceded by decent pre-monsoon thundershowers and gusty winds across the city and suburbs. This year, however, the wait is getting prolonged.
A weather system over the Arabian Sea is acting as a spoil sport for the pre-monsoon activity. A cyclonic circulation persists over the Southeast Arabian Sea, off the Kerala Coast and Lakshadweep region. This system is restricting the northward spread of rainfall activity.
At present, pre-monsoon showers are largely confined to coastal Kerala and may at best extend up to Coastal Karnataka before stopping short of Goa. Rainfall activity over Konkan, including Mumbai, is expected to remain very light and patchy until this weekend.
Meanwhile, Mumbai continues to be swept by highly humid westerly winds almost throughout the day. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 35°C (+/-1°C). The heat wave threshold for coastal cities is 37°C, which is not very far away.
However, heat wave conditions during June are relatively rare for Mumbai, with only a few exceptions such as 2014 and 2023. The combination of high temperatures and humidity levels exceeding 60% is likely to trigger highly uncomfortable and sultry weather conditions across the city.
The monsoon onset over Mumbai remains non-committal at this stage. Any speculation regarding the onset date will become clearer only after the monsoon advances over mainland Kerala. Current indications suggest that monsoon progress after onset may remain slow and sluggish. As a result, muggy pre-monsoon weather conditions are expected to persist longer than usual over Mumbai.
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