Torrential rainfall has triggered widespread flooding in parts of India, submerging houses, vehicles, and disrupting transportation.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a red alert for Mumbai, Raigad, Palghar and Thane, warning of intense rainfall at isolated locations over the next few hours.
Heavy rain submerged swathes of Mumbai, including Dadar, Parel, Hindmata, Charkop, Worli, Goregaon and Andheri, slowing vehicular movement and causing severe traffic congestion.
The IMD forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall across Mumbai and its suburbs, with the possibility of extremely heavy showers between Thursday night and early Friday. Wind speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour are also expected.
In neighbouring Navi Mumbai, overnight rainfall flooded the Sanpada underpass, bringing traffic to a standstill.
Several vehicles were stranded, forcing commuters to take alternative routes and worsening congestion along Palm Beach Road and other major roads.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), some parts of the city recorded more than 200 millimetres of rainfall in the last 24 hours.
The civic body’s monsoon report showed that between 8am and 6pm on Wednesday, the island city recorded an average rainfall of 49 mm, while the eastern and western suburbs received 99 mm and 90 mm, respectively.
The IMD’s Colaba and Santacruz observatories recorded 30 mm and 108 mm of rainfall respectively during the same period.
The downpour also affected suburban train services and air travel. Three flights were diverted due to adverse weather before later returning to Mumbai, officials said.
The IMD said heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds is expected to persist over the next 24 hours.
The latest flooding follows an unusually dry start to the monsoon season. IMD said India recorded its fifth-driest June since records began in 1901 and is expected to receive below-average monsoon rainfall in July.
A monsoon is a seasonal weather pattern in which winds change direction, bringing months of heavy rainfall followed by a drier season.
The monsoon supplies about 70 percent of the country’s annual rainfall, replenishing water sources and supporting agriculture, which remains the primary source of livelihood for nearly half of India’s population.
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