Mumbai is experiencing heavy rainfall under a ‘red alert’ issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The intense rainfall began overnight and continued into Sunday morning, with rainfall easing by the early hours. Parts of south Mumbai received over 100 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, according to the IMD.
Local train services on the Central and Western Railways faced delays, but buses operated by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) remained unaffected by diversions, reports agencies.
On Saturday, the IMD issued a ‘red alert’ for Mumbai, forecasting “heavy to very heavy” rainfall on Sunday. A civic official, citing the IMD’s 8 a.m. forecast, stated that the city would experience a “cloudy sky with heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 km/h in the city and suburbs.” The IMD also warned of the possibility of “extremely heavy rainfall at isolated locations.”
Rainfall began after midnight and continued intermittently, though the intensity began to decrease by early Sunday morning. Since then, most parts of Mumbai have experienced light to moderate rainfall with occasional heavy bursts.
As of 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, the Colaba observatory recorded 120.8 mm of rainfall, while Santacruz recorded 83.8 mm. Other notable areas included Juhu with 88 mm, Bandra with 82.5 mm, and Mahalaxmi with 28 mm.
In addition to the rain, a high tide of 3.24 meters is expected at 2:55 p.m., followed by a low tide of 1.31 meters at 8:50 p.m. Heavy rain combined with high tide conditions could lead to waterlogging in low-lying areas, while the low tide will help water recede more quickly.
The IMD also issued a ‘red alert’ for the neighboring districts of Raigad, Thane, and Palghar for Sunday.
