Mumbai heatwave: Versova beach becomes a refuge for slum dwellers

Amid rising heat and humidity in Mumbai, many slum dwellers are sleeping on Versova beach to escape the unbearable conditions in their poorly ventilated homes. The sea breeze offers them relief, and they return home at dawn.

Residents seek refuge from heat on Versova beach

As heat and increasing humidity grip Mumbai, several residents, mostly slum dwellers, have started spending their nights on the shores of Versova beach to get some relief from the conditions of their densely packed homes.

Most residents live in settlements near the Versova shoreline and sleep on the beach to escape extreme heat, which becomes unbearable due to the poor ventilation in their homes. Residents said the sea breeze provides some respite from the oppressive weather, leading many families to gather on the beach after sunset and spend the night there. They go about their business by dawn.

Voices from the shore

Speaking to ANI, a slum dweller said, "We sleep on the beach every day to escape the intense heat. It becomes very difficult to stay inside our homes because of the heat, so we come here at night." Another resident named Rahul told ANI that people are sleeping outdoors due to the intense heat during the summer season, and a majority of these individuals are from local slum areas, with a smaller percentage being visitors who enjoy the area and end up spending the night. A resident from Uttar Pradesh added that people return to sleeping indoors once the rainy season begins.

Weather forecast and monsoon outlook

As per the weather forecast, people are experiencing excessive heat with temperatures rising to 33 degree celcius. Maharashtra has been witnessing high temperatures in recent days.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted a gradual rise in maximum temperatures by 1-2 degrees Celsius over the interior parts of Maharashtra during the next three days, followed by a gradual decline thereafter. According to the IMD, there is likely to be no significant change in minimum temperatures over Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada during the next four to five days.

The weather agency has also predicted light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms over the Vidarbha region. In a relief for residents reeling under the heat, the IMD has issued a yellow alert for isolated rainfall and thunderstorms in parts of Maharashtra. The department has further indicated that the southwest monsoon is likely to advance further into Maharashtra over the next four to five days.

The IMD, in its Long Range Forecast for the Southwest Monsoon Seasonal Rainfall during June-September 2026, said that the southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall over the country as a whole is likely to be 90 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA), with a model error of plus or minus four per cent, indicating below-normal rainfall during the monsoon season.

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