Mumbai

Intense overnight rainfall, arriving just a day after the southwest monsoon reached Mumbai, caused widespread waterlogging, disrupted suburban rail services and created major commuting challenges across the city on Wednesday.

According to civic authorities, several parts of Mumbai received more than 200 mm of rainfall during the 24-hour period ending at 8 am. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted continued moderate to heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning across Mumbai and its suburbs over the next day.

The heavy showers inundated several low-lying areas, slowing traffic movement and affecting thousands of commuters during the morning rush hour.

Waterlogging was reported from locations including the Andheri subway, Hindmata and King's Circle, leading to traffic snarls on major roads. Civic officials said emergency teams were deployed to monitor the situation and address complaints.

Suburban train operations, particularly on Central Railway routes, were impacted as rainwater accumulated at certain sections of the network. Although water levels remained below the threshold that would require suspension of services, commuters reported delays and overcrowding on several routes.

The situation worsened on the Trans-Harbour line after a track cave-in between Turbhe and Koparkhairane stations, reportedly caused by strong water flow following the heavy rain.

Railway officials said the up line on the Thane-Vashi route was declared unsafe shortly after 5 am, while the down line was temporarily closed before restoration work began. Services resumed later in the morning under speed restrictions, but disruptions continued to affect passenger movement.

Western Railway services remained largely unaffected and operated according to schedule despite the adverse weather conditions.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reported that a high tide of 3.41 metres occurred in the morning, while another high tide of 3.35 metres was expected in the evening. Authorities noted that heavy rainfall coinciding with high tide often aggravates flooding in Mumbai due to its coastal geography.

Shiv Sena MLC Manisha Kayande stressed the need for more effective drain maintenance and urged Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde to intensify efforts to clean stormwater drains and remove accumulated waste.

While acknowledging that some waterlogging is unavoidable during intense downpours, Kayande said inadequate drain cleaning had contributed to flooding in certain areas.

She emphasised that the issue should not be politicised and that the priority should be addressing public inconvenience.

“The focus must remain on solving citizens’ problems. Better cleaning of drains and removal of waste will help reduce waterlogging and improve traffic movement during the monsoon,” she said.

Municipal and disaster management teams have been placed on alert as weather agencies expect rainfall activity to continue over the coming days.

Earlier in the day, the IMD issued a red alert for Mumbai and neighbouring Palghar district, warning of extremely heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds. The alert was later downgraded to orange as conditions improved slightly, though forecasts continued to indicate spells of intense rain across Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Palghar and Sindhudurg districts.

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The monsoon arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday, nearly two weeks later than its usual onset date of June 10. According to IMD records, only a few years have witnessed a later arrival, including 2023, when the monsoon reached the city on June 25. The longest delays were recorded in 1958 and 1974, when the monsoon arrived on June 28.