Mumbai Rain Havoc Continues: Orange Alert In City, 200 mm+ Rain Floods Roads, Trains Delayed
Mumbai remained in the grip of relentless monsoon showers on Thursday, with continuous rainfall disrupting road traffic, slowing suburban train services and flooding several low-lying areas across the city. As residents battled another difficult commute, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an Orange Alert for Mumbai, while neighbouring Palghar remained under a Red Alert, warning of persistent heavy to very heavy rainfall through the day.
The intense spell of rain left several parts of the city waterlogged during the morning rush hour, causing long traffic queues and delays for thousands of commuters travelling by road and rail.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), multiple locations received more than 200 mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period ending at 8 am on Thursday. The eastern suburbs recorded the highest average rainfall at 189 mm, followed by 172 mm in the island city and 165 mm in the western suburbs.
Rainwater accumulated in several low-lying areas, including Dadar, Parel, Hindmata, Charkop, Worli, Goregaon and Andheri, making travel difficult and slowing vehicular movement across major roads.
Mumbai's suburban railway network also experienced disruptions during the morning peak hours. Although railway tracks remained free of major flooding, commuters reported delays of around 10 to 15 minutes on several local train services, leading to overcrowding at railway stations.
Despite passengers reporting delays, Central Railway stated that its operations continued normally across all four corridors even after receiving over 180 mm of rainfall in the previous 24 hours. Western Railway also said suburban services were operating normally, though commuters experienced slower train movement during the morning.
The IMD has warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to continue across Mumbai and its suburbs, with the possibility of extremely heavy showers developing later on Thursday night and continuing into the early hours of Friday. The weather department has also forecast gusty winds of 50 to 60 kmph, urging residents to remain cautious while travelling.
Adding to concerns, the BMC said a high tide of 4.27 metres was expected during the afternoon, followed by another high tide of 3.71 metres after midnight. Civic officials continue to closely monitor flood-prone areas as high tides combined with intense rainfall could worsen waterlogging in vulnerable locations.
Among the highest rainfall recordings during the last 24 hours were Santacruz SWM Workshop and S Ward Office, Bhandup, both receiving 238.8 mm of rain. Other locations that witnessed exceptionally heavy rainfall included Paspoli Municipal School in Powai (234.6 mm), Tagore Nagar Municipal School in Vikhroli (233.2 mm), Mithagar Municipal School in Mulund (226 mm), Andheri Fire Station (225.4 mm), F South Ward Office in Parel (222 mm) and G South Ward Office in Prabhadevi (220.4 mm).
With the monsoon showing no signs of easing, authorities have advised citizens to avoid waterlogged roads, stay away from coastal areas during high tide and travel only when necessary. Emergency teams remain on alert as heavy rain and strong winds are expected to continue over the next several hours, keeping Mumbai on high weather watch.
