The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a 'yellow' alert for heavy rainfall today.
Overnight and continuing morning rain has brought Mumbai to a standstill, leaving several areas of the city waterlogged and disrupting transport and flight services. Many low-lying areas in Kurla, Sion, Dadar, and Parel were largely affected, with visuals showing vehicles moving through the waterlogged streets early today.
According to weather officials, Mumbai's Nariman Point area received 40 mm of rainfall between 6 am and 7 am today, Grant Road received 36 mm, Colaba received 31 mm of rainfall, and Byculla witnessed 21 mm of rainfall. Mumbai's eastern and western suburbs are witnessing light rainfall today, they added.
Some flights moving to and from Mumbai have been affected due to the rainy weather. SpiceJet in an advisory to passengers said, "Due to bad weather (heavy rain) in Mumbai (BOM), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may get affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status."
Air India also issued an advisory saying, "Rain and thunderstorms are impacting flight operations in Mumbai. To ensure a smooth travel experience, we encourage our passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport."
The incessant rain had led to waterlogging on railway tracks, causing delays in suburban train services, which were running five to ten minutes behind schedule. However, they are presently functioning normally, officials said.
Mumbai has been witnessing heavy rainfall and waterlogging in some parts of the city since last week. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has urged residents of Mumbai not to step out of their homes unless necessary. Additionally, the BMC and the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) have identified 96 buildings in the city that are considered dangerous during the rainy season, and around 3,100 residents have been instructed to shift to safer places.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a 'yellow' alert for heavy rainfall throughout the day in Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar districts. An 'orange' alert for very heavy rainfall has been issued in Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg districts. According to the weather office, there is a possibility of thunderstorms and heavy rains with strong winds at a speed of 50-60 km per hour in some districts across Maharashtra in the next three to four hours.
The state administration has appealed to citizens to remain alert.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar visited rain-affected areas in Baramati earlier today to take stock of the situation. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also directed all security agencies to remain on alert.
Southwest monsoon arrives in Maharashtra, earliest in 35 years
The southwest monsoon arrived in Maharashtra on Sunday, making it the earliest onset of the annual rainfall season over the state in 35 years, the weather department said. It is expected to advance to Mumbai and some other parts over the next three days.
"Conditions are favourable for further advance into some more parts of central Arabian Sea, more parts of Maharashtra including Mumbai, Karnataka including Bengaluru, some parts of Andhra Pradesh, remaining parts of Tamil Nadu, more parts of west-central and North Bay of Bengal and some more parts of North Eastern states during next three days," the IMD said.
The monsoon arrived over Kerala on Saturday, nearly a week ahead of the usual onset date of June 1.
