Mumbai Records Highest Rainfall in 107 Years as Monsoon Arrives 16 Days Early

Mumbai was battered by relentless rainfall on Monday, marking not just the city's earliest monsoon arrival in 75 years, but also its highest single-day May rainfall in over a century. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the southwest monsoon officially reached Mumbai on May 26—16 days ahead of its usual onset date of June 11.

“This is the earliest monsoon advancement over Mumbai between 2001 and 2025,” the IMD said in a statement, highlighting the significance of this early arrival.

In just the first day of the monsoon, Mumbai broke a 107-year-old rainfall record. Data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) shows that parts of South Mumbai received more than 200 mm of rain between midnight and 11 a.m. on Monday. At the Colaba weather station, 295 mm of rainfall was recorded—the highest since May 1918, when the city saw 279.4 mm.

Other parts of the city also experienced intense rainfall between 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Monday. Colaba received 105.2 mm, Santacruz 55 mm, Bandra 68.5 mm, Juhu Airport 63.5 mm, Chembur 38.5 mm, Vikhroli 37.5 mm, Mahalaxmi 33.5 mm, and Sion 53.5 mm.

The IMD issued a red alert for Mumbai and surrounding districts including Thane, Raigad, and Ratnagiri, warning of extremely heavy rain. Similar alerts have also been issued across parts of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

“The southwest monsoon has now advanced into more areas including central Arabian Sea, parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka (including Bengaluru), Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and parts of northeastern India,” the IMD said.

Last year, the monsoon arrived in Mumbai on June 6, but this year's early and intense onset is already causing significant disruption with widespread waterlogging and transportation delays reported across the city.

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