Mumbai Drenched: Red Alert as Heavy Rains Lash City, Schools Shut, Trains Delayed
Mumbai came to a standstill on Tuesday as incessant heavy rains lashed the city, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a red alert for the metropolis and its neighboring districts. The city received a staggering 177 mm of rainfall in just six to eight hours, leading to widespread waterlogging, traffic chaos, and disruptions to daily life. In response to the severe weather, the Maharashtra government declared a holiday for all schools, anganwadis, and colleges in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg for the day.
The relentless downpour submerged several key areas, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reporting waterlogging at 14 locations. The crucial Andheri subway was shut for an extended period after being completely inundated. The city’s lifeline, the local train network, was also hit, with services on the Central and Harbour lines running late by up to 10 minutes.
While metro services remained unaffected, road traffic was severely hampered across the city. Amid the deluge, the Vihar lake, located within the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, began overflowing on Monday afternoon. Rainfall data from Monday to early Tuesday morning showed intense spells across the suburbs, with Vikhroli recording 194.5 mm, Santacruz 185.0 mm, and Juhu 173.5 mm.
Authorities have urged citizens to take extreme precautions. Maharashtra’s Chief Minister advised residents to stay indoors as more heavy showers are expected, compounded by a high tide alert for Tuesday morning. The IMD’s red alert for Mumbai, Thane, and Raigad predicts extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas, with orange or red alerts in place for half of Maharashtra’s districts until August 21.
Airlines, including IndiGo, issued travel advisories, warning passengers of sluggish traffic and waterlogged routes to the airport and urging them to allow for extra travel time. Emergency services, including police, SDRF, and NDRF, have been deployed to assist citizens.
