This Article is From Jul 04, 2012

Mumbai slowly recovers after heavy rain

Mumbai slowly recovers after heavy rain
Mumbai: Heavy rains lashed Mumbai and surrounding areas, including Thane and Raigad on Wednesday, disrupting road and rail traffic, officials here said.

Although the downpour offered respite from the sultry weather, it affected Mumbai's lifeline, the suburban trains network, with local services running late by 10-15 minutes on the Central Railway and the Harbour Line since morning, delaying millions of commuters.

No delays were reported on the Western Railway section.

Air traffic at the Mumbai airport remained affected for a few hours in the morning with flights being delayed by 15 minutes. Three flights were diverted due to inclement weather conditions.

The city disaster control room said there was no waterlogging in any part of Mumbai.

Commuters travelling by roads, however, reported traffic jams in some parts of the city.

"Due to traffic jams, it took me nearly 45 minutes to cover the distance between Jogeshwari and Vikhroli which normally takes around 10 minutes," said Pagur Desai, who commutes daily from Kandivli-Mulund.

Till 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Colaba and Santacruz observatories recorded 48.6 mm and 76.3 mm of rainfall, respectively, according to the Weather Bureau.

The bureau has forecast heavy rains in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and surrounding areas for the next two days.

With wind speed expected to touch 45-55 kmph Wednesday, fishermen have been advised against venturing out into the sea.

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