Monsoon arrives in Maharashtra, coastal areas receive showers

The southwest monsoon arrived in Maharashtra on Thursday with rains lashing some coastal parts of the state, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official in Mumbai said.

The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall in some parts of the state in next 48 hours.

"The southwest monsoon has arrived in Maharashtra. The onset line is passing over Harnai, Solapur, Ramagundum (Telangana) and Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh)," IMD Mumbai centre's deputy director general K S Hosalikar said.

"Conditions are favourable for further advancement in some more parts of Maharashtra in next 48 hours. Heavy rainfall warnings are issued," he said.

Rains lashed parts of the coastal Sindhudurg district, which is located at the southern end of Maharashtra, including Amboli, Vengurla and other neighbouring areas, since 11 am on Thursday, another official said.

In the last few days, pre-monsoon showers hit several parts of the state, including Mumbai and its suburbs.

The Mumbai civic body last week issued an advisory fearing rise in monsoon-related diseases in addition to the coronavirus infections.

It asked citizens to visit nearby clinics or inform community health volunteers if they experience symptoms like fever with chills, joint pains, rashes, cough, breathlessness, diarrhoea, vomiting and sore throat.

The civic body also appealed to citizens to keep premises of their residential buildings and surrounding areas clean to prevent breeding of mosquitoes in any disposed articles.