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Astro-meteorology of the Bombay floods



Mumbai’s low-lying areas and suburbs were water-logged today as the city received 10 days of its rainfall quota in 24 hours. BMC chief Ajoy Mehta advised citizens to remain at home and for schools to remain shut tomorrow, as more heavy rains were expected. BMC had to divert traffic in 13 places in the city due to extensive water logging as torrential rains lashed the city in Mumbai and its suburbs including Kurla, Chembur, Tilak Nagar, Andheri, Parel, Lower Parel, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Dombivili. Around 120 suction pumps were pressed into service to drain out water in low-lying areas. June 19









The rules for weather forecast are summarized by Kim Farnell [1]. The forecast is primarily based on the relevant cardinal ingress chart of the Sun. The chart is then  interpreted using the 4th house as the main indicator. 50% of the overall prevailing conditions are described by the planets in the 4th house, their sign and the aspects they make to other planets, followed by the sign on the cusp and its ruler. 25% is from the 1st house - using the same formula. The remaining 25% is from the rest of the chart and in particular any planet in a close approaching aspect to the MC.


Shown here is the chart for the Sun’s entry into  Cancer at Bombay. Mercury is in the 4th house conjunct  stars of the constellation Hyades.  The word “hyades” means “rainers” and the constellation is linked to torrential rain and stormy weather.  In addition Mercury is square Neptune about which Kim Farnell adds, “freakish weather events, flooding. Neptune's power lies in its ability to lower the barometer and provoke torrential downpours and flooding conditions”.






Having analyzed the  cardinal ingress chart, one looks at the lunation chart for weekly trends. Here the New Moon chart of June 16 has Neptune in a sharp quincunx to the MC, confirming  that this was one week in which Neptune could cause torrential downpours and flooding conditions.





P.S. Using the Cancer Ingress chart for eastern and central India as the basis for a monsoon forecast, it appears that between June and September, this part of India is likely to get torrential rain and flooding. 

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