IMD issues yellow alert in Mumbai as it battles heavy rain, traffic snarls

Mumbai faced torrential downpours, causing water-logging, traffic delays, and school closures while thunderstorms and strong winds persist in the city and suburbs

For the second morning in a row, Mumbaikars woke up to disruption on Tuesday as heavy overnight rainfall inundated low-lying areas and triggered traffic snarls during rush hour. 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for isolated heavy showers, thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching 30 to 40 kmph across the city and suburbs.

Traffic disruptions continue

Water accumulation at Dadar, Kurla, and Bandra stations delayed local trains by 10–15 minutes. Roads across King’s Circle, Lalbaug, Worli, Dadar, Parel, and Kurla remained waterlogged, while sections of the JJ Flyover and Worli underpass also went under water. Traffic snarls worsened due to water-filled potholes and flooding, further delaying commuters on already congested roads.

Technical glitch halts monorail

On September 15, several local train and monorail services were affected. A monorail train stalled between Antop Hill Bus Depot and GTBN station in Wadala due to a technical snag, though all 17 passengers onboard were rescued safely.  

Schools closed in some regions

The heavy rainfall prompted the closure of schools for classes 1 to 7 in Beed district, while several schools in Pune’s Hadapsar area also declared holidays. 

Forecast for today

The IMD has predicted a generally cloudy sky over Mumbai with moderate to heavy rainfall at isolated places. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 30 to 40 kmph are expected to continue through Tuesday. 

 

The map below shows the recorded rainfall across the region over the past 24 hours.  

High tides are anticipated at 7.48 am (3.50 metres) and 7.27 pm (2.90 metres), with low tides at 2:06 pm (2.27 metres) and early Wednesday at 2.00 am (1.44 metres).

Weekly weather outlook

Mumbai is likely to experience intermittent heavy showers over the next few days, with partial relief expected from midweek. Rainfall activity is predicted to reduce gradually across Maharashtra, including Marathwada, North Maharashtra, and Vidarbha, from Wednesday onwards.

Monsoon withdrawal from Mumbai

The southwest monsoon is gradually retreating from Maharashtra. While heavy rains persist in central and eastern districts, conditions are increasingly favourable for the withdrawal of the monsoon from Mumbai and surrounding regions in the coming days. 

Relief efforts in Mumbai

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and disaster management authorities are monitoring the situation. Evacuations were conducted in flood-prone areas, and civic teams are working to clear waterlogged roads. Water storage in Mumbai’s seven main reservoirs has risen to 98.82 per cent, ensuring uninterrupted drinking water supply to the city.

 

In Marathwada, 11 villagers were airlifted by an Air Force helicopter from Sheri Khurd near Ashti, Beed district, while the Army evacuated 40 others with NDRF support. Rivers in Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Parbhani, and Hingoli are in spate, prompting continuous monitoring. 

Statewide impact in Maharashtra

Heavy rains have also battered Pune, Beed, Hingoli, and Palghar districts. Keshegaon circle in Dharashiv recorded 105 mm rainfall in 24 hours. In Pune, at least 70 people were evacuated from inundated villages, while Lohegaon observatory recorded 129.2 mm rain. 

 

Water discharge from major irrigation projects in Marathwada continues to increase, with Vishnupuri dam releasing 91,854 cusecs and Manjara project 17,333 cusecs to manage rising water levels.