Mumbai Rains | Trains halted, flights cancelled & more; monsoon intensity to drop from Saturday

Mumbai has been grappling with monsoon fury yet citizens on Friday, woke up to halted rains and cloudy skies. Further, an Orange Alert has been issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), with predictions of extremely heavy rainfall, in certain pockets of the city. Despite that, the intensity of the rains is expected to decrease from Saturday.

The surrounding districts, including Thane, Palghar, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Raigad, and Ratnagiri, are under 'high alert' as they brace for potential flooding and disruptions.

The Regional Meteorological Centre, Mumbai, warns of heavy to very heavy rain in isolated places across Konkan and the Ghat regions of Madhya Maharashtra. North Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada may also experience heavy rainfall, while Vidarbha faces the risk of thundershowers and gusty winds.

Adding to the chaos, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reported that Tansa Lake started overflowing on Thursday, leading to the opening of three dam gates, releasing water at 3,315 cusecs. This deluge has affected train movements, with Western Railways announcing disruptions between Chinchpada and Kolde stations due to waterlogging. Train number 15068, bound for Hirdam Nagar from Bandra Terminus, was diverted, and the Udhna - Nandurbar MEMU Special was cancelled.

The relentless downpour has not spared Mumbai's roads. Traffic Police updates indicate slow movement on key routes like the Eastern Freeway, Vakola Bridge, and Centaur Bridge. The BMC forecasts moderate to heavy rain with possible very heavy downpours and gusty winds reaching up to 60 kmph.

Meanwhile, air travel has been disrupted with 11 flights cancelled and 10 diverted from Mumbai on Thursday due to poor visibility and severe weather. However, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has declared that all the schools and colleges in its area will operate normally on Friday, as the city embraces a lower-level weather alert.

The heavy rains in the past 3-4 days have brought back memories of the catastrophic 26 July, 2005, Mumbai floods, highlighting the city’s vulnerability to intense monsoon seasons. As the rains are set to continue, Mumbai residents are urged to stay safe and updated on the latest weather developments.