MUMBAI: While heavy rains have waterlogged parts of the city and thrown life out of gear since Monday night, farmers across the state have welcomed the showers.
The Southwest monsoon has been active again in Konkan for the last 3-4 days and has reached Vidarbha. However, central Maharashtra and Marathwada - the main foodgrains and pulse producing regions still await rains, said MET department officials here on Tuesday.
However, the MET forecast has predicted good showers for most of the state by the coming week.
In the last 24 hours, Mahabaleshwar in the Western Ghats and Dahanu and Harney on the Konkan coast have recorded maximum rains. Harney received 1,091mm of rains, which is half its annual average of 2,348mm. While Mahabaleshwar received around 630mm and Nagpur recorded 41 mm rain in the past 24 hours, said the MET department.
According to officials of the agriculture department, sowing across the state is around 17 per cent of the Kharif season, which is more than double of the corresponding period of the last monsoon season.
Severe rains on Monday choked several low lying areas like Parel, Dadar, Matunga, Sion and Andheri. It also disrupted life in Mumbai and delayed suburban trains.
There was a high tide warning issued at around 2:30pm on Tuesday. Tide of 4.81 metres was expected to worsen conditions in the city. However, a lull in rains helped the civic administration press 79 pumps into action to prevent further waterlogging.
The areas around seven lakes that supply water to Mumbai have also received good rains increasing the reservoir levels satisfactorily, said civic officials.