IMD predicts heavy rain for Mumbai today; Delhi under yellow alert

Mumbai will see more rain and strong winds while Delhi expects thunderstorms, hot and humid conditions as IMD issues alerts for May 29

Mumbai is likely to continue witnessing heavy rainfall on Thursday (May 29), according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The forecast indicates a generally cloudy sky with thunder, lightning, and gusty winds.

 

Daytime temperatures are expected to range between 24 and 31 degrees Celsius. The IMD has also warned of isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall across central Maharashtra from May 27 to 29, and over Konkan and Goa from May 27 to June 2.

 

Mumbai logs record May rainfall

 

Mumbai recorded its highest 24-hour rainfall for May since Cyclone Tauktae in 2021, marking the early onset of the southwest monsoon. On Tuesday, Santacruz’s cumulative rainfall reached 324 mm, while Colaba broke its May record of 279.4 mm set in 1918, making it the wettest May day ever recorded there. 

 

 

Heavy rain and waterlogging disrupted flights and train services. Airlines like IndiGo and Air India issued travel advisories. On Wednesday, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) Managing Director Ashwini Bhide said water seepage at Acharya Atre Chowk station was due to sudden intense rainfall and assured there was no safety risk, with all protocols followed. The flooding affected both concourse and platform levels after Mumbai saw nearly 90 mm of rain in just 90 minutes.

 

BMC fines mini pumping station operators

 

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) fined four mini pumping station operators ₹10 lakh each for failing to install and activate pumps at key flood-prone junctions during the downpour. Waterlogging across low-lying areas disrupted suburban trains and road traffic in locations like King’s Circle, Mantralaya, Dadar TT, Kalachowki, Wadala, Hindmata, and Churchgate.

 

The BMC said penalties were imposed on operators at Hindmata, Gandhi Market, Yellow Gate, and Chunabhatti for not ensuring the stations were operational before May 25, as mandated in the pre-monsoon requirements. 

 

Yellow alert in Delhi

 

Meanwhile, Delhi residents woke up to pleasant weather after thunderstorms and heavy rainfall over the past few days that caused flight delays, traffic jams, and power outages.

 

Delhi is set to see partly cloudy skies with hot, humid conditions today. Thunderstorms and lightning are expected as well. The minimum temperature is likely to hover around 28 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is expected to reach 39 degrees Celsius. The IMD has issued a yellow alert for the day. 

 

Air quality in Delhi improved slightly but fell back into the ‘moderate’ category on Tuesday morning after a massive dust storm. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 143 at 8 am on May 29.