Mumbai: Mumbai woke up to steady spells of moderate to heavy rainfall on Wednesday, a day after torrential showers battered the city and its suburbs, disrupting daily life and crippling transport networks. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for the city for two hours on Wednesday morning, citing intense rainfall activity, before maintaining an orange alert for the next 24 hours as heavy rain continued to lash the metropolis.
According to the IMD, the intensity of showers is expected to reduce from Thursday, August 21, but civic authorities remain on high alert with the possibility of fresh spells. Beyond Mumbai, a red alert has been sounded for Raigad and the ghat sections of Pune district, while Thane, Palghar, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg continue to remain under an orange alert.
Rains Wreak Havoc In City
Tuesday’s relentless downpour had brought Mumbai to a standstill, flooding arterial roads and turning several low-lying areas into waterlogged pockets. The city’s suburban railway services, often described as its lifeline, were severely disrupted.
Central and Harbour line operations were suspended for several hours after water inundated tracks at multiple points, leaving commuters stranded during peak hours. At several junctions, passengers were seen walking along railway lines after trains failed to resume services.
The Western Railway, though less affected compared to Central, reported delays due to waterlogging on tracks and signal issues. Officials said normal services were gradually being restored but cautioned that more showers could lead to fresh disruptions.
Air travel too was hit by the inclement weather. More than 250 flights were affected on Tuesday, with several delayed or diverted due to low visibility. On Wednesday, IndiGo Airlines issued a travel advisory, warning passengers about possible air traffic congestion and delays at Mumbai airport. The airline urged travelers to check flight statuses before heading to the airport and to factor in longer travel times because of waterlogging and traffic snarls across the city.
Traffic Jam On WEH
By Wednesday morning, no major waterlogging was reported, though traffic congestion was observed at several points along the Western Express Highway. Authorities attributed the gridlocks more to peak-hour movement than to fresh flooding. Municipal officials, however, maintained that disaster management teams were on standby in case of further heavy spells.
