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 IMD's orange alert, the third level in its four-stage warning system, indicates the likelihood of severe weather capable of causing significant disruptions, transport delays and power outages.
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)
