Mumbai Battles Monsoon Fury: Heavy Rain Disrupts Flights, Local Trains; Red Alert Issued

Mumbai: The monsoon has arrived in full force, bringing heavy rains and thunderstorms across Mumbai and the coastal belt of Maharashtra, disrupting daily life on Sunday. With intense downpours lashing the city since late Saturday night, transport, education, and civic operations have been severely impacted, prompting a Red Alert from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The IMD has warned of continued intense rainfall across Mumbai, its suburbs, and adjoining districts like Raigad, which has also been placed under red alert due to the forecast of extremely heavy showers within the next two hours. Meanwhile, Thane and Palghar remain under an orange alert with the possibility of thunderstorms and gusty winds.

Several local train services were delayed due to waterlogging on tracks and low visibility, while flight operations at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport also witnessed brief suspensions and schedule reshuffles. Airlines like IndiGo issued travel advisories, alerting passengers to plan ahead due to “temporary disruptions” and slower city traffic.

“Passengers are advised to check their flight status and allow extra travel time to the airport,” IndiGo said in a statement.

Rainfall readings over the last 24 hours have been significant, with Wadala recording 161 mm, Prabhadevi 150 mm, and Matunga 147 mm. In Navi Mumbai, Belapur saw 52.04 mm while Nerul recorded 49.27 mm, according to the NMMC’s Disaster Management Cell, which also reported five tree fall incidents.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) flagged concerns over high sea levels, warning that waves could reach up to 4.21 meters, raising fears of coastal flooding during high tide. Motorists faced difficulty navigating through flooded zones like LBS Road in Kurla and Vakola Bridge, where waterlogging caused heavy traffic snarls throughout the morning hours.