Mumbai woke up to heavy rainfall on Wednesday after intense overnight showers lashed the city, leading to waterlogging in several low-lying areas and disrupting vehicular movement at some locations.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an Orange Alert in the morning, warning of moderate to intense spells of rain across Mumbai and neighbouring districts, while a Red Alert remained in place for Mumbai, its suburbs and Palghar for the day.
The IMD’s nowcast warning, issued for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Palghar and Sindhudurg, remained valid until 10 am. Apart from Mumbai and Palghar, Thane was placed under an Orange Alert, while Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg were under a Yellow Alert.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), intermittent heavy showers continued across the city and suburbs through the morning. The civic body also cautioned residents about the possibility of thunderstorms and lightning amid cloudy weather conditions.
Despite the heavy rainfall, suburban train services remained largely unaffected during the morning rush hour.
The Western Railway said services on key routes, including the Harbour Line and the Churchgate-Dahanu corridor, were operating normally.
However, the overnight downpour led to waterlogging at multiple locations in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
The Andheri subway was closed for vehicular traffic after it was inundated due to continuous rainfall. The BMC said all other subways in the city remained open and railway operations continued without any major disruption.
Rainfall data released by the civic body showed that Mumbai received an average rainfall of 56 mm between 8 am and 11 pm on June 23. The eastern suburbs recorded 23 mm of rainfall, while the western suburbs received 33 mm.
Several areas in the western suburbs witnessed intense rainfall between 10 pm and 11 pm. Charkop Sector 1 Municipal School in Kandivali recorded 32 mm of rainfall, followed by MHB Municipal School in Malad with 28 mm. Gajdharbandh Storm Water Pumping Station received 26 mm of rain, while Banana Leaf, Juhu Dispensary and Nariyalwadi School in Santacruz recorded 22 mm, 22 mm and 21 mm respectively.
The weather department has forecast generally cloudy skies over Mumbai and its suburbs for the day, with moderate to heavy rainfall likely at several places. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning are also expected during intense rain spells.
Meanwhile, authorities are closely monitoring tidal conditions along Mumbai’s coastline.
The city is expected to witness a high tide of 3.41 metres at 8:28 am and another high tide of 3.35 metres at 7:41 pm. Low tides are forecast at 2:04 pm with a height of 2.40 metres and at 2:20 am on June 25 with a height of 1.38 metres.
The latest rainfall figures indicate the scale of the ongoing monsoon activity. Between 8 am on June 23 and 8 am on June 24, Mumbai recorded an average rainfall of 195 mm.
The eastern suburbs received 167 mm of rainfall, while the western suburbs recorded the highest precipitation at 208 mm.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde is scheduled to visit several rain-affected areas across the city on Wednesday to assess the ground situation and review civic response measures.
