Mumbai woke up to one of the heaviest spells of rain this season as several parts of the city and its metropolitan region recorded more than 300 mm of rainfall within 24 hours, leading to widespread waterlogging, traffic congestion and disruption of public transport.
The intense downpour coincided with the official arrival of the southwest monsoon over Mumbai, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announcing that the rainy season has finally reached the city after an unusually long wait.
Low-lying areas including Andheri Subway, Hindmata, Sion-Matunga and several other locations witnessed severe water accumulation, forcing commuters to navigate flooded roads while local train services operated with delays on multiple routes.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s disaster management data, Malwani and Parel emerged as the worst-hit locations, each receiving around 343 mm of rainfall during the 24-hour period. Malad Depot recorded 314 mm, while Powai, Dadar, Wadala, Marol and Bhandup also received exceptionally heavy rainfall exceeding 250 mm.
The IMD has forecast moderate to heavy showers throughout the day and issued an Orange Alert for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Palghar and Ratnagiri, warning of intense rain spells over the next few hours.
The southwest monsoon had remained stalled for several days due to unfavourable weather conditions before advancing rapidly into North Konkan on Tuesday morning and reaching Mumbai by noon. Meteorologists expect it to cover the remaining parts of Maharashtra over the next two days.
The delayed arrival has made this year’s monsoon one of the latest in recent history. The normal onset date for Mumbai is June 11, while the city has only witnessed later arrivals on a handful of occasions since 1950, including June 25 in 2019 and 2023.
The heavy rainfall also brought significant relief from the heat, with temperatures dropping sharply. The Santacruz observatory recorded a maximum temperature of around 25°C, nearly 10 degrees lower than the levels experienced before the monsoon set in, providing a welcome break after weeks of humid weather.
