On Sunday, Colaba recorded a surprisingly high rainfall of 139 mm, while Santa Cruz recorded only 35 mm between 8 am and 5.30 pm. Chronic flooding spots of the central suburbs, like the Hindmata and Kalachowkie junctions, saw moderate waterlogging. Civic staff watched over open manholes in these areas through the afternoon.

IMD officials stated that three coinciding factors have caused a change in the last week’s weather conditions. K Sathi Devi, director of IMD, Mumbai, said: “A cyclonic circulation in Gujarat and its adjoining area, an offshore trough lying between the north Maharashtra and Kerala coast and a low pressure in the Bay of Bengal — all these factors together are most favourable for rains and thundershowers.”

Usually, an offshore trough is a common feature in the city during the monsoon, she stated, but this year it has remained absent so far. “Saturday saw moderate rains, but on Sunday the monsoon picked up and heavier showers were recorded in Mumbai. We are expecting torrential rains till Tuesday,” she said.

Rains have also been lashing the Konkan region and the interior Maharashtra, IMD officials said. “Except for the Marathwada region which is receiving only moderate rainfall, heavy downpour has been recorded in all other parts of the state,” Sathi Devi said. Marathwada includes the districts of Aurangabad, Jalna, Beed, Nanded, Osmanabad, Latur, Hingoli and Parbhani.