Incessant rain in Mumbai over the last two days has brought back memories of the record-breaking July 26, 2005, downpour that had paralysed the city.

Tuesday’s rain was not, however, triggered by any unusual event, nor was the amount of rainfall anywhere near the July 2005 mark. The Santacruz observatory recorded 315.8 mm of rainfall between 8:30 am and 8:30 pm Tuesday, which was a third of the 944 mm that some parts of the city had received on that 2005 day. Colaba and Thane stations recorded less rainfall than Santacruz.

“Parts of Mumbai get inundated with even 50 mm of rainfall. And in the last two days the city has received over 350 mm rains. These rains were forecast well in advance. No special event has triggered it. And it is not very unusual for Mumbai. It has received more rains in the past. Tuesday’s rainfall in Santacruz, however, was the highest single-day rainfall recorded in August this monsoon season,” said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, head of services at the India Meteorological Department.

“What has been crucial in this spell is the timing of the rains. Had the same amount of rainfall happened in May or June, the situation would not have been so bad. But Mumbai already has had about 2,000 mm of rainfall this monsoon season (since June) which is more than normal. The soil is already saturated with moisture. Its ability to absorb water is diminished. So we are seeing a much larger impact of the rains on city life,” Mohapatra said.