Mumbai woke up to overcast skies and strong winds on Tuesday, with rain easing after a day of relentless downpour that crippled normal life, even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) sounded an orange alert for the city.
Authorities ordered the closure of all schools and colleges as a precaution against the possibility of more heavy showers.
Relentless rain brought Mumbai and neighbouring districts to a near standstill. Roads were submerged, trees uprooted, and several incidents of wall and billboard collapses were reported.
The Virar-Vasai section in the neighbouring Palghar district had been inundated since Monday morning, though the water level gradually receded after the intensity of rainfall reduced by evening.
The first local train departed from Virar for Churchgate in south Mumbai at 3.57 am on Tuesday, a Western Railway spokesperson said.
According to commuters, Western Railway's suburban services were running 20 to 25 minutes behind schedule, while Central Railway's local trains were delayed by 10 to 15 minutes.
Metro services and buses of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking were functioning normally.
The IMD has forecast intermittent spells of rain in Mumbai and suburbs on Tuesday, with heavy to very heavy rainfall likely at isolated places, civic officials said.
Occasional gusty winds reaching speeds of 60-70 kmph are also very likely, prompting authorities to advise people to exercise caution, they said.
The 'orange' alert issued by the IMD indicates that people should be prepared for extremely bad weather that can cause significant disruptions, transport delays, and power outages, an official said. It is at the third level in a four-stage colour system, placed above yellow and below red.
An average rainfall of 46 mm was recorded in the island city during the 24 hours ending at 8 am on Tuesday, while the eastern and western suburbs received 77 mm and 78 mm, respectively, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The next high tide of 3.93 metres is expected at 4.34 pm on Tuesday, while another high tide of 3.41 metres is forecast at 5.43 am on Wednesday. The low tides are expected at 11.02 pm on Tuesday and 11.07 am on Wednesday, the BMC said.
Meanwhile, traffic on the Mumbai-bound carriageway of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway's Missing Link bypass resumed at 10.10 p.m on Monday after remaining suspended for over 18 hours due to a landslide near Tunnel 2.
The route was reopened after safety inspections, according to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).
The spell of heavy rain also proved deadly in parts of Maharashtra. Four people, including three members of a family, were killed in separate rain-related incidents in Pune district on Monday. Three of the victims died after a landslide struck Patan village in Maval tehsil, while another person was killed in a wall collapse. Two others were swept away in separate incidents.
Authorities rescued or shifted more than 500 people to safer locations as heavy rainfall triggered multiple landslides and widespread flooding across the district.
(With inputs from PTI)