MUMBAI: After a fortnight-long break, heavy rains lashed Mumbai and neighbouring districts during the night and on Wednesday morning, causing flooding in areas and slowed down local trains and road traffic movement. Due to poor visibility, eight people were injured in Andheri as three cars dashed. While there was no impact on the airline schedules and the railway services operated with some delay, road traffic was severely hit due to waterlogging and traffic jams.
The entire coastal Konkan region has been receiving heavy rains and most of the IMD weather stations have recorded 90 mm plus rainfall within 24 hours.In the 24 hours ending 0830 hours, the Colaba observatory (Mumbai city) recorded 173.6 mm rainfall while Santacruz observatory (Mumbai suburbs) recorded 82.4 mm rainfall. During the day, MMR on an average recorded 80 to 100 mm rainfall.
In Mumbai, severe waterlogging was reported from Dadar, Hindmata, King’s Circle, Tilaknagar, Andheri, Sakinaka, Jogeshwari and other places. Part of a hill caved in at Asalfa area of Ghatkopar, however, there were no casualties. Occupants of around 10 dwellings were evacuated just before the incident.
The Vasai-Virar belt in Palghar district and Belapur region of Raigad district also received heavy rain. In Thane city, waterlogging was reported from many places.There was a traffic jam in arterial roads like Eastern Express Highway, Western Express Highway and Ghodbunder Road. Civic transporter, like BEST, had to divert buses. The Mumbai-based Regional Meteorological Centre of the IMD and private agency Skymet Weather has forecast few spells of heavy rains on Thursday and Friday. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the Arabian Sea.
Dark clouds circle Mumbai
Deputy director general of meteorology, KS Hosalikar , said that latest satellite imagery obtaiend shows a massive cloud mass in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai. The public transportation system has taken a massive hit due to the rains.