Mumbai Rains: IMD predicts heavy to very heavy rainfall in next 24 hours, red alert issued

Day after incessant rainfall threw life out of gear in Mumbai, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday issued another fresh warning, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall at the financial capital of India in the next 24 hours. Heavy to very heavy downpour is likely to occur in Mumbai and south Konkan area all over Tuesday. Besides, several other districts in Maharashtra, including Raigad, Thane, Palghar, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg are also on red alert in the view of this IMD forecast.

Meanwhile, the weather department has requested Mumbaikars to take necessary precautions to avoid any untoward incident during the rain. Fishermen are also advised not to venture into the Arabian Sea which will be very rough with high waves and wind speeds touching 40-50 kmph till Friday.

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Heavy rains made a reappearance in Mumbai on Monday after a hiatus, affecting road and rail traffic and briefly disrupting operations at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Office-goers braved torrential downpour in many parts of the metropolis to reach their places of work. Commuters on their way to office remain stuck at traffic jams for hours as areas including SV Road, JVLR, Western Express Highway and many other parts were hit by waterlogging woes since morning.

Runway operations at the Mumbai airport remained suspended for nearly 20 minutes from 9.12 am due to heavy rains. The Central Railway said there was heavy rain at various locations on Mumbai suburban route. The suburbs received around 20 mm rainfall in just three hours starting 8.30 am, an IMD official said.

This caused water-logging on rail tracks at Ghatkopar, Kanjurmarg, Sion and other stations due to which local trains on the Central Line were running slow. The Mumbai municipal corporation said it regrets the inconvenience caused to Mumbai residents owing to heavy rain. A viral video showed a gaping manhole in Chembur swallowing a bike.

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The metropolis and its adjoining areas received heavy rains for four consecutive days in June end-early July, badly affecting normal life and disrupting rail, road and and air traffic at that time. After that, the city had been witnessing sporadic rains in the last few days.

While Monsoon showers once again ditched Delhi and its neighbouring areas, the Meteorological department has predicted heavy to heavy rainfall at isolated places of Uttarakhand, especially in Nainital, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Dehradun and Haridwar districts on 11, 12 and 13 July.