Heavy Rain In Mumbai, 50 Flights Cancelled, Train Services Hit, Schools Shut

Heavy rains have hit Mumbai and its surrounding areas in the last 24 hours leading to widespread waterlogging and suburban train services. Some areas in the city have recorded over 300 mm of rainfall within six hours from 1 am to 7 am on Monday. 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and the Konkan belt. Vikhroli’s  Veer Savarkar Marg Municipal School and MCMCR Powai saw the highest rainfall in the last 24 hours as over 315 mm of rainfall was recorded.

Over 50 flights have been cancelled due to the downpour. Several airlines took to X (formerly Twitter) to warn passengers and urged them to check flight status before leaving for the airport.

Visuals from across the city showed people wading through waist-deep waters and cars lined bumper to bumper on Mumbai roads. All government, private and municipal schools and colleges have been shut across the city. 

#WATCH | Maharashtra: The traffic slows down on Western Express Highway near Vile Parle as heavy rain lashes Mumbai city. pic.twitter.com/aAzQaayTqO

— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2024

#WATCH | Pedestrians and vehicles cross heavily waterlogged streets at King’s Circle amid rains in Mumbai

A commuter says, “My car is stuck on the road. There is no point in blaming the government for the rains. The government is doing its job.” pic.twitter.com/2v16Osb8NZ

— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2024

At Dombivli station, people waited for trains on submerged tracks. Water-logging was reported from Worli, Buntara Bhavan, in Kurla East, King’s Circle area of Mumbai, Dadar and Vidyavihar Railway Station. Over 30 lakh commuters use the suburban local train services in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane, Palghar and Raigad every day.

Train services between Kasara and Titwala stations in Thane district were suspended after soil covered the tracks between Atgaon and Thansit stations, disrupting rail traffic on the busy Kalyan-Kasara route, they said.

#WATCH | Local train services have resumed on Central Line after rainwater has receded; Visuals from Kurla station in Mumbai pic.twitter.com/r4vJEYr1Vc

— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2024

The tracks were declared unsafe at around 6.30 am, the official said.

Officials have said if the rain stops for over two hours the waterlogging will subside but the weather office has predicted heavy rain throughout the day. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in Mumbai today.
 
Sea waves of 4.4 meters are expected at high tide around 2 pm.

#WATCH | Pedestrian underpass at Vile Parle East waterlogged due to heavy rainfall in Mumbai pic.twitter.com/SAxCj5BYZ0

— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2024

Several trains were diverted, rescheduled or terminated due to waterlogging between Kalyan and Kasara stations of Mumbai division.

Due to heavy rainfall and flash floods on the Vasind-Khardi section between 3 am and 6 am, the track embankment got damaged, officials told news agency PTI.

As of now, several teams of NDRF are deployed in Thane, Vasai ( Palghar), Mahad (Raigad), Chiplun (Ratnagiri), Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara Ghatkopar, Kurla and Sindhudurg.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued 49 people from a water-logged resort in Maharashtra’s Thane and 16 villagers in Palghar. They used boats and life jackets to rescue people stranded at the resort due to flooding.