Heavy rainfall lashes Mumbai; flights, suburban train services disrupted

IMD weather update: Mumbai is currently experiencing heavy downpours. An 'orange' alert has been issued for the Konkan region

Mumbai is expected to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next four to five days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The city is currently being hit with intense downpours, and an ‘orange’ alert has been issued for the Konkan region.

Over the past 24 hours, the financial capital received 93 mm of rainfall. For three consecutive days, the city recorded 100 mm of rainfall each day. The weather department has issued a ‘yellow’ alert specifically for Mumbai for the next three days, with heavy rainfall continuing in some areas.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Shahaji Nagar Municipal School in Trombay recorded 155.6 mm of rain between 8 am and 3 pm on Sunday. This was followed by the North Division office with 151.1 mm, Nutan Vidyamandir in Mankhurd with 149.6 mm, and Adarsh Nagar in Worli with 129.2 mm.

Heavy rains affect flights, airlines issue advisory

Severe rainfall has caused disruptions to flight operations in Mumbai, resulting in cancellations and diversions. Air India offers full refunds or a one-time free rescheduling for travellers who booked flights on July 21.
 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Air India said, “Heavy rains in Mumbai are affecting flight operations and resulting in cancellation and diversion of some of our flights. Air India is offering full refunds or a one-time complimentary rescheduling for bookings confirmed for travel on 21st July 2024.”
 

IndiGo and Vistara issued a passenger advisory, stating that flights could be disrupted due to heavy rains in Mumbai.

In a post on X, IndiGo stated, “#6ETravelAdvisory : #Mumbai is going to see increased rainfall, particularly until tonight, with more rain anticipated in the coming days. Please monitor your flight status http://bit.ly/3DNYJqj and plan your travel carefully due to potential waterlogged roads.”


 

On Sunday, as many as 36 flights were cancelled at Mumbai Airport, and 15 flights, including those operated by Air India, IndiGo, and Akasa, were diverted to nearby airports, mainly Ahmedabad, due to intermittent heavy rain, until 4 pm.
 

Heavy rains caused the facility operator to halt runway operations twice during the day on Sunday — once for eight minutes at 12.12 pm, and again from 1.00 pm to 1.15 pm. Waterlogging near Mankhurd, Panvel, and Kurla stations resulted in delays of 15 to 20 minutes for local train services on the Harbour Line, though the Western Railway section continued to run smoothly.

On Sunday evening, the Central Railway services on the down fast line between Dadar and Matunga stations were disrupted. An official said that waterlogging on the tracks at Dadar further worsened the issue on both the Up and Down fast lines.

IMD weather forecast: Rainfall in North India

Over the next five days, light to moderate rainfall is expected across East Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning. The IMD has forecast severe to extremely heavy rains, along with thunderstorms and lightning, for Himachal Pradesh on Monday and Tuesday.
 

Rainfall is expected in several districts, including Hamirpur (Sujanpur Tihra, Hamirpur), Bilaspur (Swarghat, Bilaspur), Chamba, Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, Kullu, Mandi (Sarkaghat, Dharampur, Slapper, Kotli, Mandi, Sundernagar), and Kangra (Dharamsala, Jaisinghpur).

In Odisha, a cyclonic depression over the Bay of Bengal has triggered heavy rain across various districts. In Malkangiri district, around 7,300 people in 1,045 villages under 111 Panchayats have been affected. The IMD predicts that the depression will move northwest towards Chhattisgarh and weaken into a low-pressure area within the next 12 hours.

[With agency inputs]