Mumbai and nearby areas in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) may receive their first proper spell of pre-monsoon rains on Thursday. This could bring much-needed relief from the heatwave conditions in coastal Maharashtra.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), light rain/thundershowers are likely over parts of Thane. However, Mumbai city itself has not been marked for rainfall activity on Thursday and Friday.
However, popular private weather forecaster Rushikesh Agre has predicted that the interior parts of the MMR are likely to see their first proper spell of rains from Thursday, mainly during the late afternoon and evening hours.
“Interior MMR is likely to witness its first proper spell of rains on Thursday, mainly from late afternoon/evening onwards,” he posted on X.
#MumbaiRains Update ⛈️
— Mumbai Rains (@rushikesh_agre_) May 20, 2026
Interior MMR is likely to witness its first proper spell of rains on Thursday, mainly from late afternoon/evening onwards.
Rain activity is expected to strengthen further throughout Mumbai & will peak during Friday-Saturday. ⛈️ pic.twitter.com/rE0KyBotIr
He added that rain activity may gradually strengthen across Mumbai and surrounding regions, with the peak expected between Friday and Saturday. “Rain activity is expected to strengthen further throughout Mumbai and will peak during Friday-Saturday,” he added.
As per the IMD Mumbai's latest weather forecast, thunderstorm accompanied with lightning, light to moderate rain, gusty winds with speed 40-50 kmph is very likely to occur at a isolated places in the districts of South Konkon-Goa and Madhya Maharashtra.
IMD has issued a yellow alert for Raigad, Pune, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, Satara with the possibility of thunderstorm accompanied with lightning, light to moderate rainfall & gusty winds (30-40 kmph) at isolated places.
Check detailed Maharashtra state-wide weather forecast here: https://mausam.imd.gov.in/mumbai/mcdata/district.pdf
The Met Centre of Goa has also issued a yellow alert with the possibility of light to moderate rainfall/thundershowers likely during late evening/night hours on May 21. It stated that thunderstorm accompanied with lightning, gusty winds (30-40 kmph) likely at isolated places during late evening/night hours over North & South Goa districts on Thursday.
Check detailed Goa weather forecast here: https://mausam.imd.gov.in/goa/mcdata/5dayrpf.pdf
ALSO READ: IMD Heatwave Alert: Delhi To Sizzle At 46°C As North India Faces Extreme Heat
Pre-Monsoon Showers In Mumbai
This suggests that the pre-monsoon showers could arrive in Mumbai by weekend next week and intensify in the next couple of days. This comes amid anticipation that southwest monsoon will arrive in Mumbai earlier than usual this year. Earlier, Mumbai division's IMD Director Bikram Singh and Agre, on separate occasions, predicted that Mumbai may receive monsoon on June 5, compared to the normal onset date of June 11.
Southwest Monsoon 2026 Update
In its Thursday morning bulletin, the IMD said that conditions are becoming favourable for further advance of the southwest monsoon into parts of the southeast Arabian Sea, Comorin area, southwest and southeast Bay of Bengal, remaining Andaman Sea, and east-central Bay of Bengal in the next 3 to 4 days.
The IMD also stated that the southwest monsoon is likely to set in over Kerala around May 26, with a model error margin of plus or minus 4 days. Kerala typically receives monsoon on June 1. As a result, rainfall activity will likely continue over southern states in the coming days.
- May 21 to 24: Fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm, lightning & gusty winds (speed reaching 40-50 kmph) likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal
- May 21-22: Kerala and Mahe, Lakshadweep to experience similar weather.
- May 22-24 : Fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall in South Interior Karnataka.
- May 24: Similar weather in North Interior Karnataka
- May 21: Telangana and Rayalaseema to experience fairly widespread rainfall and strong winds.
ALSO READ: Monsoon To Arrive Early This Year? IMD Forecasts Onset In Kerala By May 26
During this period, thundersquall (wind speed reaching 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph) likely and isolated heavy rainfall may also occur at these places till May 24.
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